ARAGO, JEAN FRANÇOIS DOMINIQUE. - French physicist and astronomer, b. at Estagel, near Perpignan, in the Pyrenees, on 27 February 1786, d. in Paris on 2 October 1853. He made notable discoveries in physics, especially in optics (theory of the polarization of light), in electricity and in magnetism. His greatest merit perhaps remains that of having fully appreciated and encouraged Ampère and Fresnel in their research. He was an eloquent popularizer of science, and enjoyed great fame during his lifetime. He published a treatise on popular astronomy, and numerous biographies of scientists.
Today one could not repeat the eulogy written of him by Napoleon III: « Vous êtes l'axe, autour duquel se meut le monde scientifique ». But he always showed a sincere and disinterested love for science and for truth. He encouraged the research and experiments of young people. He sometimes had occasion to defend Catholic scholars unjustly attacked for their religious opinions.
After 1830 he devoted himself to politics and was French Minister of the Navy.
BibliographyEditions: Oeuvres complètes, 16 vols., Paris 1854, with a preface by A. Humboldt. - Biographies: J. Bertrand, Eloges Académiques, Paris 1890
BIBL.: Editions: Oeuvres complètes, 16 vols., Paris 1854, with a preface by A. Humboldt. - Biographies: J. Bertrand, Eloges Académiques, Paris 1890, pp. 39-75. His works had numerous translations into the various European languages, cf. U. Forti, s. v. in Enc. Ital., III, p. 916.
Vacca, Giovanni. “Arago, jean françois dominique.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. I, col. 1755. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1948. https://azioneromana.com/article/arago-jean-francois-dominique.
MLA
Vacca, Giovanni. “Arago, jean françois dominique.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. I, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1948, col. 1755. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/arago-jean-francois-dominique.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec1_arago_jean_francois_dominique,
author = {Vacca, Giovanni},
title = {Arago, jean françois dominique},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {I},
pages = {1755},
note = {Cited by column},
publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
address = {Città del Vaticano},
year = {1948},
url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/arago-jean-francois-dominique}
}
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