Bernard Lamy (mathematician)
Encyclopedia
Bernard Lamy was a French
Oratorian mathematician
and theologian.
thereafter. In 1658 he entered the congregation of the Oratory.
Lamy became professor of classics
at Vendôme
in 1661, and at Juilly
in 1663. He was ordained in 1667.
After teaching a few years at Le Mans he was appointed to a chair of philosophy in the University of Angers
. Here his teaching was attacked on the ground that it was too exclusively Cartesian
, and Rebous the rector obtained in 1675 from the state authorities a decree forbidding him to continue his lectures.
He was then sent by his superiors to Grenoble
, where, thanks to the protection of Cardinal Le Camus, he again took up his courses of philosophy. In 1686 he returned to Paris, stopping at the seminary of Saint Magloire, and in 1689 he was sent to Rouen
, where he spent the remainder of his days.
His writings are numerous and varied. Among them may be mentioned:
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Oratorian mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and theologian.
Life
After studying in Le Mans, he went to join the Maison d'Institution in Paris, and to SaumurSaumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
thereafter. In 1658 he entered the congregation of the Oratory.
Lamy became professor of classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
at Vendôme
Vendôme
Vendôme is a commune in the Centre region of France.-Administration:Vendôme is the capital of the arrondissement of Vendôme in the Loir-et-Cher department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It has a tribunal of first instance.-Geography:...
in 1661, and at Juilly
Juilly, Seine-et-Marne
Juilly is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne département in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
in 1663. He was ordained in 1667.
After teaching a few years at Le Mans he was appointed to a chair of philosophy in the University of Angers
University of Angers
The University of Angers is an institution of higher learning situated in the town of the same name, in western France. It was founded in 1356, closed down in 1793, and reestablished in 1971....
. Here his teaching was attacked on the ground that it was too exclusively Cartesian
René Descartes
René Descartes ; was a French philosopher and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He has been dubbed the 'Father of Modern Philosophy', and much subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which are studied closely to this day...
, and Rebous the rector obtained in 1675 from the state authorities a decree forbidding him to continue his lectures.
He was then sent by his superiors to Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, where, thanks to the protection of Cardinal Le Camus, he again took up his courses of philosophy. In 1686 he returned to Paris, stopping at the seminary of Saint Magloire, and in 1689 he was sent to Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, where he spent the remainder of his days.
Works
His best known work is the Traité de Mécanique (1679), showing the parallelogram of forces. He also wrote Traité de la grandeur en general (1680) and Les éléments de géometrie (1685).His writings are numerous and varied. Among them may be mentioned:
- "Apparatus ad Biblia Sacra", etc. (Grenoble, 1687), translated into French by order of the Bishop of Châlons under the title "Introduction a la lecture de l'Ecriture Sainte" (Lyons, 1689).
- "Harmonia, sive Concordia quatuor Evangelistarum", a harmony or concordance of the Four Gospels (Paris, 1689). In this work he contends that John the Baptist was twice cast into prison, first in Jerusalem by order of the Sanhedrin, and later by Herod in Galilee. He maintains also that the Saviour and His Apostles did not eat the paschal lamb at the Last Supper, and that the Crucifixion occurred on the day on which the Jews celebrated the Passover. He considers Mary Magdalen, Mary the sister of Lazarus, and the sinner mentioned in Luke, vii, 37 sqq. to be one and the same person. These and other opinions involved him in controversy with Bulteau, pastor of Rouen, Jean Piénud, Le Nain de Tillemont, and others (see "Traité historique de l'ancienne Pâque des Juifs", Paris, 1693).
- "Apparatus Biblicus", which is a development of his introduction (Lyons, 1696; Jena, 1709; Amsterdam, 1710). It was translated into French by Abbé de Bellegarde (Paris, 1697) and by Abbé Boyer (Lyons, 1709). In this work he calls in question the historical character of the book of Tobias and book of Judith, and maintains that even after the Council of TrentCouncil of TrentThe Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
a difference of authority should be recognized between the proto-canonical and deutero-canonical books of the Bible. - "Défense de l'ancien sentiment de l'Eglise latine touchant l'office de sainte Madeleine" (Rouen, Paris, 1697).
- A volume of commentaries on his previous harmony of the Four Gospels (Paris, 1699).
- A Latin treatise on the Ark of the Covenant (Paris, 1720), a posthumous work published by Père Desmollets, who prefixed to the volume a biography of the author.
See also
- College of JuillyCollege of JuillyThe College of Juilly The College of Juilly The College of Juilly (French: Collège de Juilly is a Catholic private teaching establishment located on the commune of Juilly, in Seine-et-Marne (France)...
- Lami's theoremLami's theoremIn statics, Lami's theorem is an equation relating the magnitudes of three coplanar, concurrent and non-collinear forces, which keeps an object in static equilibrium, with the angles directly opposite to the corresponding forces...
- List of Roman Catholic scientist-clerics