“As any such combination of words expresses a judgment of the mind, it must always contain three types of words, the first of which is called the subject, the second the attribute, and the third either joins the attribute to the subject or separates it from the latter. For to judge is to deny or affirm one thing of another. […] The most natural and general distinction of words, then, is between those representing the objects of perception and others representing the operation of the understanding on these perceptions, that is, the acts of judging or reasoning which we perform on objects.”
— Émilie Du Châtelet, On Grammar, Chapter VI
We are delighted to announce that the English translation of Émilie Du Châtelet’s philosophical essay On Grammar is now available online and will serve as the core text for the fourth session of the Libori Summer School 2025, taking place on Thursday, September 11, 2025.
In this early essay, Du Châtelet defends grammar not as a mere set of conventions, but as a philosophical system rooted in the logic of ideas and being. She argues that language reflects the structure of reality, and that understanding grammar allows us to communicate with clarity, rationality, and precision. Her work anticipates themes that would become central to later philosophy of language and analytic thought.
These themes will be explored in depth throughout the day, beginning with the student session in the morning and followed by two keynote lectures in the afternoon by Pedro Pricladnitzky and Katarina Peixoto.
Interested?
Join an international community of students and scholars at the Libori Summer School 2025 and take part in a week of lively discussion and discovery. Apply now – the deadline is August 15, 2025.
Send your application to: contact@historyofwomenphilosophers.org
All information about the program and registration can be found here.
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