Du Châtelet’s Treatise of Metaphysics now available in English translation!

„It is thus unquestionably true that our first ideas are our sensations; little by little we receive composite ideas from the sensations that strike our organs, our memory stores these perceptions, then we classify them under general ideas. And from this single faculty we possess, of being able to combine and classify our ideas, there results all of Man’s vast knowledge.“
— Émilie Du Châtelet, Treatise on Metaphysics, Chapter III

We are delighted to announce that the English translation of Émilie Du Châtelet’s philosophical essay Treatise of Metaphysics is now available online and will serve as the core text for the fourth session of the Libori Summer School 2025, taking place on Friday, September 12.

In this work, Du Châtelet presents a metaphysical system that addresses core philosophical questions concerning the nature of being, the immortality of the soul, and the necessity of an eternal, self-sufficient first cause. Drawing on the rationalist tradition of Leibniz and Wolff, she argues for the coherence of a metaphysical order that upholds both divine reason and human freedom.

Throughout the day, participants will explore these metaphysical concepts in depth, beginning with a student session in the morning and followed by an afternoon keynote lecture by Ulla Kölving. The day concludes with a brief closing ceremony to reflect on a week of collaborative learning and philosophical exchange.

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.