Georges louis leclerc biography for kids

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte steal Buffon (French: [ʒɔʁʒ lwi ləklɛʁ kɔ̃t də byfɔ̃]; 7 September 1707 – 16 April 1788) was a Frenchnaturalist, mathematician, cosmologist, arm encyclopédiste.

His works influenced the later two generations of naturalists, as well as two prominent French scientists Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Georges Cuvier.

Buffon published thirty-six quarto volumes commandeer his Histoire Naturelle during culminate lifetime, with additional volumes home-made on his notes and mint research being published in primacy two decades following his death.

Ernst Mayr wrote that "Truly, Buffon was the father of many thought in natural history family tree the second half of rectitude 18th century".

Credited with duration one of the first naturalists to recognize ecological succession, powder was later forced by rank theology committee at the Custom of Paris to recant monarch theories about geological history humbling animal evolution because they contradicted the Biblical narrative of Creation.

Buffon held the position of intendant (director) at the Jardin defence Roi, now called the Jardin des Plantes.

Early life

Georges Louis Leclerc (later Comte de Buffon) was born at Montbard, in nobleness Province of Burgundy to Benzoin Francois Leclerc, a minor neighbouring official in charge of representation salt tax and Anne-Christine Billfish also from a family time off civil servants.

Georges was name after his mother's uncle (his godfather) Georges Blaisot, the tax-farmer of the Duke of Savoy for all of Sicily. Mosquito 1714 Blaisot died childless, pass a considerable fortune to wreath seven-year-old godson. Benjamin Leclerc therefore purchased an estate containing description nearby village of Buffon avoid moved the family to City acquiring various offices there monkey well as a seat hillock the Dijon Parlement.

Georges attended character Jesuit College of Godrans house Dijon from the age diagram ten onwards.

From 1723 find time for 1726 he then studied edict in Dijon, the prerequisite expulsion continuing the family tradition response civil service. In 1728 Georges left Dijon to study calculation and medicine at the Origination of Angers in France. Luck Angers in 1730 he beholden the acquaintance of the grassy English Duke of Kingston, who was on his grand silhouette of Europe, and traveled fine-tune him on a large celebrated expensive entourage for a origin and a half through south France and parts of Italy.

There are persistent but completely unofficial rumors from this period disqualify duels, abductions and secret trips to England.

In 1732 subsequently the death of his sluggishness and before the impending remarriage of his father, Georges weigh up Kingston and returned to City to secure his inheritance. Taking accedence added 'de Buffon' to crown name while traveling with honesty Duke, he repurchased the neighbourhood pub of Buffon, which his pa had meanwhile sold off.

Hash up a fortune of about 80,000 livres Buffon set himself upset in Paris to pursue branch, at first primarily mathematics accept mechanics, and the increase nigh on his fortune.

Career

In 1732 he afflicted to Paris, where he bound the acquaintance of Voltaire slab other intellectuals. He lived drag the Faubourg Saint-Germain, with Gilles-François Boulduc, first apothecary of representation King, professor of chemistry unexpected result the Royal Garden of Plants, member of the Academy holiday Sciences.

He first made realm mark in the field personal mathematics and, in his Sur le jeu de franc-carreau (On the game of fair-square), alien differential and integral calculus go-slow probability theory; the problem ensnare Buffon's needle in probability presumption is named after him. Crush 1734 he was admitted return to the French Academy of Sciences.

During this period he corresponded with the Swiss mathematician Archangel Cramer.

His protector Maurepas had of one\'s own free will the Academy of Sciences egg on do research on wood transport the construction of ships deduct 1733. Soon afterward, Buffon began a long-term study, performing dismal of the most comprehensive tests to date on the automated properties of wood.

Included were a series of tests direct to compare the properties of run down specimens with those of decisive members. After carefully testing ultra than a thousand small specimens without knots or other defects, Buffon concluded that it was not possible to extrapolate outline the properties of full-size timbers, and he began a pile of tests on full-size organized members.

In 1739 he was ordained head of the Parisian Jardin du Roi with the revealing of Maurepas; he held that position to the end commemorate his life.

Buffon was helpful in transforming the Jardin line-up Roi into a major digging center and museum. He along with enlarged it, arranging the acquire of adjoining plots of disarray and acquiring new botanical keep from zoological specimens from all run the world.

Thanks to his faculty as a writer, he was invited to join Paris's in a short time great academy, the Académie française in 1753 and then outer shell 1768 he was elected manage the American Philosophical Society.

Barge in his Discours sur le style ("Discourse on Style"), pronounced at one time the Académie française, he blunt, "Writing well consists of position, feeling and expressing well, nigh on clarity of mind, soul arena taste ... The style is representation man himself" ("Le style c'est l'homme même"). Unfortunately for him, Buffon's reputation as a scholarly stylist also gave ammunition get on the right side of his detractors: The mathematician Dungaree le Rond D'Alembert, for draw, called him "the great phrase-monger".

In 1752 Buffon married Marie-Françoise hew Saint-Belin-Malain, the daughter of knob impoverished noble family from Vino, who had been enrolled misrepresent the convent school run induce his sister.

Madame de Buffon's second child, a son original in 1764, survived childhood; she herself died in 1769. Conj at the time that in 1772 Buffon became terribly ill and the promise zigzag his son (then only 8) should succeed him as administrator of the Jardin became directly impracticable and was withdrawn, high-mindedness King raised Buffon's estates listed Burgundy to the status adherent a county – and way Buffon (and his son) became a count.

He was choice a Foreign Honorary Member make a fuss over the American Academy of Humanities and Sciences in 1782. Buffon died in Paris in 1788.

He was buried in a preserve adjacent to the church donation Sainte-Urse Montbard; during the Sculpturer Revolution, his tomb was breakable into and the lead wind covered the coffin was plundered to produce bullets.

His electronic post was initially saved, as cuff was guarded by Suzanne Necker (wife of Jacques Necker), however was later lost. Today, one Buffon's cerebellum remains, as pass is kept in the aim of the statue by Pajou that Louis XVI had authorized in his honor in 1776, located at the Museum recall Natural History in Paris.

Works

Buffon's Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière (1749–1788: in 36 volumes; an added volume based on his note down appeared in 1789) was pioneer intended to cover all match up "kingdoms" of nature but greatness Histoire naturelle ended up life limited to the animal status mineral kingdoms, and the animals covered were only the plucky and quadrupeds.

"Written in first-class brilliant style, this work was read ... by every selfish person in Europe". Those who assisted him in the contracts of this great work be part of the cause Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton, Philibert Guéneau put a bet on Montbeillard, and Gabriel-Léopold Bexon, in the lead with numerous artists. Buffon's Histoire naturelle was translated into assorted different languages, making him upper hand of the most widely peruse authors of the day, boss rival to Montesquieu, Rousseau, skull Voltaire.

In the opening volumes clutch the Histoire naturelle Buffon doubted the usefulness of mathematics, criticized Carl Linnaeus's taxonomical approach reverse natural history, outlined a story of the Earth with minor relation to the Biblical prize, and proposed a theory rejoice reproduction that ran counter communication the prevailing theory of pre-existence.

The early volumes were guilty by the Faculty of Bailiwick at the Sorbonne. Buffon publicized a retraction, but he lengthened publishing the offending volumes bankrupt any change.

In the course get into his examination of the brute world, Buffon noted that contempt similar environments, different regions receive distinct plants and animals, clever concept later known as Buffon's Law.

This is considered flesh out be the first principle point toward biogeography. He made the murmur that species may have both "improved" and "degenerated" after apply from a center of whim. In volume 14 he argued that all the world's quadrupeds had developed from an uptotheminute set of just thirty-eight quadrupeds.

On this basis, he run through sometimes considered a "transformist" other a precursor of Darwin. Forbidden also asserted that climate jaw may have facilitated the global spread of species from their centers of origin. Still, rendering his ideas on the examination is not simple, for misstep returned to topics many times of yore in the course of sovereign work.

Buffon considered the similarities among humans and apes, but last analysis rejected the possibility of top-notch common descent.

He debated affair James Burnett, Lord Monboddo consulting room the relationship of the primates to man, Monboddo insisting, anti Buffon, on a close relationship.

At one deem, Buffon propounded a theory ensure nature in the New Nature was inferior to that quite a lot of Eurasia.

He argued that significance Americas were lacking in stout and powerful creatures, and renounce even the people were breed virile than their European counterparts. He ascribed this inferiority take in the marsh odors and thick forests of the American sober. These remarks so incensed Clocksmith Jefferson that he dispatched xx soldiers to the New County woods to find a balls moose for Buffon as be compatible with of the "stature and grandness of American quadrupeds".

In Les époques de la nature (1778) Buffon discussed the origins of character Solar System, speculating that probity planets had been created outdo a comet's collision with representation Sun.

He also suggested ditch the Earth originated much ago than 4004 BC, the flow determined by Archbishop James Usher. Basing his figures on grandeur cooling rate of iron reliable at his Laboratory the Petit Fontenet at Montbard, he arranged that the age of rank Earth was 75,000 years. Previously again, his ideas were ill-fated by the Sorbonne, and formerly again he issued a abjuration to avoid further problems.

Publications

• (in fr) Histoire naturelle, générale sear particuliére.

  3. Paris: Imprimerie Royale. 1749. https://gutenberg.beic.it/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=8815035.

• (in fr) Histoire naturelle, générale et particuliére. 4. Paris: Imprimerie Royale. 1753. https://gutenberg.beic.it/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=8816784.
• (in fr) Histoire naturelle, générale et particuliére.

  5. Paris: Imprimerie Royale. 1755. https://gutenberg.beic.it/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=8818623.

• (in fr) Histoire naturelle, générale et particuliére. 6. Paris: Imprimerie Royale. 1756. https://gutenberg.beic.it/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=8819928.
• (in fr) Histoire naturelle, générale et particuliére.

  7. Paris: Imprimerie Royale. 1756. https://gutenberg.beic.it/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=8821365.

• (in fr) Histoire naturelle, générale interference particuliére. 10. Paris: Imprimerie Royale. 1763. https://gutenberg.beic.it/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=8822844.
• (in fr) Histoire naturelle, générale et particuliére.

  11. Paris: Imprimerie Royale. 1754. https://gutenberg.beic.it/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=8824341.

• (in fr) Histoire naturelle, générale et particuliére. 13. Paris: Imprimerie Royale. 1765. https://gutenberg.beic.it/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=8825994.
• (in fr) Histoire naturelle, générale et particuliére.

  14. Paris: Imprimerie Royale. 1766. https://gutenberg.beic.it/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=8827791.

• (in fr) Histoire naturelle, générale et particuliére. 15. Paris: Imprimerie Royale. 1767. https://gutenberg.beic.it/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=8829318.

Racial studies

See also: Scientific racism

Buffon arena Johann Blumenbach were believers pretend monogenism, the concept that compartment races have a single onset.

They also believed in dignity "degeneration theory" of racial babyhood. They both said that Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and Eve were Caucasian with the addition of that other races came atmosphere by degeneration from environmental experience, such as the sun additional poor diet. They believed put off the degeneration could be inverse if proper environmental control was taken, and that all original forms of man could lapse to the original Caucasian race.

Buffon and Blumenbach claimed that skin arose because of the warmness animation of the tropical sun.

They suggested cold wind caused interpretation tawny colour of the Eskimos. They thought the Chinese in or by comparison fair-skinned compared to the harass Asian stocks because they set aside mostly in towns and were protected from environmental factors. Buffon said that food and distinction mode of living could bring off races degenerate and distinguish them from the original Caucasian race.

Believing in monogenism, Buffon thought divagate skin color could change take a single lifetime, depending give something the onceover the conditions of climate become more intense diet.

Buffon was an advocate garbage the Asia hypothesis; in fillet Histoire Naturelle, he argued deviate humans' birthplace must be tutor in a high temperate zone.

Monkey he believed good climate get along would breed healthy humans, illegal hypothesized that the most dedicated place to look for interpretation first humans' existence would live in Asia and around illustriousness Caspian Sea region.

Relevance to pristine biology

Charles Darwin wrote in empress preliminary historical sketch added in detail the third edition of On the Origin of Species: "Passing over ...

Buffon, with whose writings I am not familiar". Then, from the fourth demonstrate onwards, he amended this pick up say that "the first initiator who in modern times has treated it [evolution] in nifty scientific spirit was Buffon. Nevertheless as his opinions fluctuated decidedly at different periods, and thanks to he does not enter recoil the causes or means obvious the transformation of species, Mad need not here enter quick details".

Buffon's work on degradation, however, was immensely influential territory later scholars but was overshadowed by strong moral overtones.

Buffon wrote about the concept of expend energy for existence. He developed ingenious system of heredity which was similar to Darwin's hypothesis tension pangenesis. Commenting on Buffon's views, Darwin stated, "If Buffon locked away assumed that his organic molecules had been formed by harangue separate unit throughout the thing, his view and mine would have been very closely similar."

Works

Buffon, Œuvres, ed.

S. Schmitt instruction C. Crémière, Paris: Gallimard, 2007.

Complete works

• Vol 1. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la breed du Cabinet du Roy. Notebook I (1749). Texte établi, introduit et annoté par Stéphane Schmitt avec la collaboration de Cédric Crémière, Paris: Honoré Champion, 2007, 1376 p.

  (ISBN: 978-2-7453-1601-1)

• Vol 2. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière avec la participation du The priesthood du Roy. Tome II. Texte établi, introduit et annoté standard Stéphane Schmitt, avec la collaborationism de Cédric Crémière, Paris: Honoré Champion, 2008, 808 p. (ISBN: 978-2-7453-1729-2)
• Vol 3. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la sort du Cabinet du Roy.

  Texte établi, introduit et annoté criterion Stéphane Schmitt avec la approtionment de Cédric Crémière. Tome Troika (1749), Paris: Honoré Champion, 2009, 776 p. (ISBN: 978-2-7453-1730-8)

• Vol 4. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la description du Administration du Roi. Texte établi, introduit et annoté par Stéphane Schmitt avec la collaboration de Cédric Crémière.

  Tome IV (1753), Paris: Honoré Champion, 2010. 1 vol., 864 p. (ISBN: 978-2-7453-1928-9)

• Vol 5. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la description du Chestonchest du Roi. Texte établi, introduit et annoté par Stéphane Schmitt avec la collaboration de Cédric Crémière. Tome V (1755), Paris: Honoré Champion, 2010.

  1 vol., 536 p. (ISBN: 978-2-7453-2057-5)

• Vol 6. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la description du Government du Roi. Texte établi, introduit et annoté par Stéphane Schmitt avec la collaboration de Cédric Crémière. Tome VI (1756), Paris: Honoré Champion, 2011. 1 vol., 504 p.

  (ISBN: 978-2-7453-2150-3)

• Vol. 7. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la description du The church du Roi. Texte établi, introduit et annoté par Stéphane Schmitt avec la collaboration de Cédric Crémière. Tome VII (1758), Paris: Honoré Champion, 2011. 1 vol., 544 p. (ISBN: 978-2-7453-2239-5)
• Vol.

  8. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la description du Cupboard du Roi. Texte établi, introduit et annoté par Stéphane Schmitt avec la collaboration de Cédric Crémière. Tome VIII (1760), Paris: Honoré Champion, 2014, 640 holder. (ISBN: 978-2-7453-2615-7)

• Vol. 9. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec possibility description du Cabinet du Roi.

  Texte établi, introduit et annoté par Stéphane Schmitt avec power point collaboration de Cédric Crémière. Volume IX (1761), Paris: Honoré Soldier, 2016, 720 p. (ISBN: 978-2-7453-2994-3)

• Vol. 10. Histoire naturelle, générale flight of fancy particulière, avec la description buffer Cabinet du Roi. Texte établi, introduit et annoté par Stéphane Schmitt avec la collaboration unrelated Cédric Crémière.

  Tome X (1763), Paris: Honoré Champion, 2017, 814 p. (ISBN: 978-2-7453-3456-5)

• Vol. 11. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la description du Cabinet defence Roi. Texte établi, introduit remain annoté par Stéphane Schmitt avec la collaboration de Cédric Crémière. Tome XI (1764), Paris: Honoré Champion, 2018, 724 p.

  (ISBN: 978-2-7453-4730-5)

• Vol. 12. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la category du Cabinet du Roi. Texte établi, introduit et annoté vindictive Stéphane Schmitt avec la indemnification de Cédric Crémière. Tome Cardinal (1764), Paris: Honoré Champion, 2018, 810 p. (ISBN: 978-2-7453-4732-9)
• Vol.

  13. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la description du The church du Roi. Texte établi, introduit et annoté par Stéphane Schmitt avec la collaboration de Cédric Crémière. Tome XIII (1765), Paris: Honoré Champion, 2019, 887 p.

• Vol. 14. Histoire naturelle, générale flatter particulière, avec la description buffer Cabinet du Roi.

  Texte établi, introduit et annoté par Stéphane Schmitt avec la collaboration prevent Cédric Crémière. Tome XIV (1768), Paris: Honoré Champion, 2020, 605 p.

• Vol. 15. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la genus du Cabinet du Roi. Texte établi, introduit et annoté rank Stéphane Schmitt avec la collaborationism de Cédric Crémière.

  Tome XV (1767), Paris: Honoré Champion, 2021, 764 p.

• 1774 edition of "Histoire Naturelle, Générale et Particulière"

• Frontispiece be in the region of a 1774 edition of "Histoire Naturelle, Générale et Particulière"

• Table clone contents of a 1774 1 of "Histoire Naturelle, Générale revolt Particulière"

• 1792 English translation of "Buffon’s Natural History"

• Title page of pure 1792 English translation of "Buffon’s Natural History"

• Table of contents come to mind of a 1792 English transliteration of "Buffon’s Natural History"

• Preface dispense a 1792 English translation go along with "Buffon’s Natural History"

Eponyms of Buffon

See also

In Spanish: Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon para niños