Marquis de Condorcet
17 September 1743 – 29 March 1794
Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat, Marquis de Condorcet (1743-1794), was a French mathematician, philosopher, and political scientist of the Enlightenment. A pioneer of social mathematics, he formulated the Condorcet voting paradox and jury theorem, and championed liberal causes including women's rights and the abolition of slavery. Proscribed during the Terror, he wrote his optimistic Sketch of human progress while in hiding and died in custody in 1794.
Lived at the same time
Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Marquis de Condorcet.
- Cesare Beccaria (1738–1794) Overlapped 51 years →
- Daniel Boone (1734–1820) Overlapped 51 years →
- Edmund Burke (1729–1797) Overlapped 51 years →
- James Lind (1716–1794) Overlapped 51 years →
- Jeanne Baret (1740–1807) Overlapped 51 years →
- John Adams (1735–1826) Overlapped 51 years →
Life events
Nicolas de Caritat was born into an ancient noble family and took his title from the town of Condorcet in the Dauphine.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgCondorcet displayed exceptional mathematical ability during his education, defending a notable analysis thesis in 1759.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgThe 1765 mathematical essay established Condorcet's reputation among leading mathematicians such as d'Alembert and Lagrange.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgCondorcet was elected to the Academie royale des sciences in 1769 and later became its permanent secretary.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgIn 1774 the reforming minister Turgot appointed Condorcet Inspector General of the Monnaie, drawing him into public administration.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgThe 1785 essay introduced the Condorcet jury theorem and the voting paradox, founding the mathematical theory of elections.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgIn 1786 Condorcet married Sophie de Grouchy, whose Paris salon became one of the most celebrated of the era.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgCondorcet represented Paris in the Legislative Assembly from 1791, serving as its secretary, and joined the National Convention in 1792, where he drafted a constitution and championed public education.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgProscribed by the Jacobins in July 1793 after criticizing their constitution, Condorcet hid in Paris for months and composed his famous Esquisse on human progress.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgArrested after fleeing his Paris refuge, Condorcet was found dead in his cell on 29 March 1794; whether the cause was exhaustion, suicide, or murder remains uncertain.
Source: en.wikipedia.org