Origins and interconnections
The Big Picture
The Birth of Chess – The Silk Road – The Luminaries of Gupta Mathematics – Vedic Architecture and the Chess Board
The cultural advancements made during the renaissance spread through society at large, spurring a new epoch in the evolution of western culture known as the Age of Enlightnement. During this period Chess would bridge art and science, the royal court and the coffeehouse. Through the 18th and into the 19th century one such coffeehouse, Paris’ Cafe de La Regence, was the epicenter of the Chess world; as well as the intellectual life of France. Frequented by eminent figures such as Rousseau, Voltaire, Diderot, Robespierre,and even Benjamin Franklin.
Franklin and his fellow revolutionaries Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Burr, John Adams, and Thomas Paine all played chess. Franklin, however, excelled his peers if not in skill, certainly in zeal for the game. In 1779 Franklin published an essay entitled The Morals of Chess in which he proclaims, “The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of mind, useful in the course of human life are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions; for life is a kind of Chess…”
Franklin served as Ambassador to France from 1776 through 1785 where he was a regular at the Cafe de la Regence, he even used the game as a pretense for covert diplomacy. He played often with Lady Howe, sister of Lord Howe an Admiral of the British Navy. Under the cover of playing chess he conducted negotiations with the Admiral in attmpts to prevent war.
The Astapada is based of the Vastu Purusha Mandala
“The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of mind, useful in the course of human life are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions; for life is a kind of Chess…”
In 1781 Franklin sought out another of the Cafe’s famous patron’s, this time for an autograph. Son of Louis XIV‘s favorite Bassoon Player, that Andre Danican Philidor, at age 11, was composing music for the King’s Chapel Orchestra is impressive, if not surprising. In the era of Mozart musical prodigies were, though perhaps not commonplace, certainly not unheard of. That by the time he left the choir at age 14 the same child was also soundly beating all the members of the orchestra at Chess, was unprecedented. By this time Chess had migrated from the royal courts to the cafe’s, and Philidor found his was to the epicenter of the Chess world, Paris’ Cafe L’Regence. There, he was taken under the wing of France’s leading player, Legall de Kermeur. In 1747 at the age of 21 Philidor decisively rout Syrian born Englishman Phillip Stamma (8-1-1 having given Stamma the advantage of the first move every game and odds) at Slaughter’s Coffeehouse in London. Stamma, who two years earlier had published The Noble Game of Chess, the first book to employ the system of algebraic notation, was considered the top player in the world, and with his victory Philidor secured the unofficial, although undisputed, status of World Champion; a position he would not relinquish for forty years.
The following year Philidor published his own book Analyse du Jeu des Echecs. Philidor’s book set a new standard in chess literature. It was the first book to explain the theory behind openings, as well as the reasons for each individual move, in an organized and detailed manner. Philidor’s theory of play was also revolutionary in eschewing grand attacking combinations that, though daring and spectacular, may not actually bring one into a winning position. He, instead, favored creating lasting strategic advantages through superior pawn structure. He wrote famously, “Pawns are the soul of Chess.” The book went through three editions in its first year alone, lists of it subscribers read like a roster of European royalty and intellectual elite. When being informed that he had just signed an autograph for the famous American Philidor exclaimed, “That’s funny, I didn’t know he was a Chess player.”
While Franklin succeeded in getting Philidor’s autograph, another icon of the 18th century, the mathematician Leonhard Euler, laments in a letter that he was unable to play a game with the Chess legend when Philidor was in Potsdam at the court of Fredrick the Great. Euler shared more than an interest in just Chess with Franklin his algebraic solution to the knight’s tour, revealing a magic square, still fascinates students of mathematics as well as chess today. A knight’s tour is the path a knight must take to land on every square without landing on one twice, a magic square is a square whose numbered sections add up to the same sum vertically and horizontally. Thus a magical knight’s tour would create a magic square based on the move number of the Knights’s tour (the starting square being numbered 1, the second square 2, and so forth).
The man of system…is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; and is often so enamoured with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government, that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it… He seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chess-board. He does not consider that in the great chess-board of human society, every single piece has a principle of motion of its own, altogether different from that which the legislature might choose to impress upon it.
The Theory Of Moral Sentiments, Part VI, Section II, Chapter II, pp. 233-4, para 17.
The Culture of the Salon and Central Role of Women in the Age of Enlightenment
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Salon culture during the Age of Enlightenment became the cornerstone of intellectual discourse, marking an era where ideas were not only discussed but also actively shaped. Set in the lavish drawing rooms of Paris and other European cities, salons were hosted by educated, often aristocratic women, who played pivotal roles in steering the intellectual currents of the time. These women, through their salons, provided a safe haven for free thought, away from the often repressive restrictions of monarchical and religious authorities.
Philosophers, writers, scientists, and other thinkers would present their latest theories, ideas, or works, followed by discussions or debates among attendees. Authors might read excerpts from their newest writings, poets would share their latest verses, and playwrights could even use the salon as a venue to test new scripts before a smaller, critical audience. Musicians and composers would sometimes present their latest compositions, offering early glimpses into the works of budding composers or performances by skilled musicians. Even scientists and inventors sometimes used the salon as a stage to showcase new inventions, discoveries, or to demonstrate experiments, bringing science into the social sphere. While intellectual discourse was central, salons also featured games like chess or card games, intertwining leisure with learning. Light refreshments, tea, or wine would accompany the discussions, adding a layer of casual comfort to the proceedings.
At the heart of all these activities was the salonnière, the hostess, who would moderate debates, introduce topics, and ensure a congenial atmosphere. Her influence was paramount, as she could direct discussions, give voice to new thinkers, and ensure the decorum of the gathering. In essence, the salon was a melting pot of the era’s cultural and intellectual life, allowing diverse disciplines to interact and evolve in a convivial setting.
At the helm of this transformative cultural movement was Madame Geoffrin. Her salon was renowned for its inclusivity, welcoming both aristocrats and rising middle-class intellectuals. With a nurturing and yet discerning eye, she provided financial support for monumental projects like the Encyclopédie and offered a platform for its contributors like Diderot and d’Alembert. By doing so, Geoffrin didn’t just passively support the Enlightenment’s ideals but actively fostered them.
Madame Condorcet (Sophie de Grouchy), wife of the famed mathematician and philosopher Marquis de Condorcet, was another formidable figure in the Enlightenment’s salon culture. Her salon was frequented by Enlightenment thinkers like Thomas Paine and Adam Smith. Madame Condorcet was more than just a gracious host; she was an intellectual in her own right. An advocate for women’s rights and education, she translated and published works, and her correspondence often discussed politics, mathematics, and social reforms.
The prominence of these women in Enlightenment culture cannot be understated. In a time when women were largely denied formal academic opportunities, they turned their salons into epicenters of learning and debate. The success of these salons lay not just in the discussions they fostered but in their ability to influence and shape the very ideas that were foundational to the Enlightenment. Through their discernment, support, and active participation, figures like Madame Geoffrin and Madame Condorcet ensured that the salons became a nexus of revolutionary thought, propelling Europe towards an era of reason, liberty, and progress.
During the 18th century, as France’s Café de la Régence acted as a crucible for revolutionary thought, across the Atlantic in the American colonies, taverns played a similar, pivotal role. Both establishments, though oceans apart, were central to the germination of revolutionary ideas, proving that revolutions often brew over cups and mugs.
The Café de la Régence in Paris was the intellectual epicenter of 18th-century France, acting as the more egalitarian counterpart to the exclusive salons of the elite. Located across from the Palais-Royal, it buzzed with writers, philosophers, and political thinkers who passionately discussed and debated the pressing issues of the day.
Unlike the salons, where discourse was often steered by the host, the Café de la Régence had a more democratic spirit. It welcomed a broader range of society, from the well-educated bourgeoisie to renowned intellectuals. Chess was its hallmark pastime, with the icons of the day like Philidor and Stamma competing and luminaries like Voltaire, Robespierre, Rousseau, and Benjamin Franklin engaging over the board; mirroring the strategic moves being planned in the political arena.
By the late 18th century, as revolutionary fervor took hold, the café became a hotbed for radical thought. The discussions that took place within its walls often echoed the growing discontent with the ancien régime. The Café de la Régence, in its unassuming way, played a pivotal role in shaping the revolutionary spirit of France.
Similarly American taverns attracted a diverse crowd of artisans, merchants, farmers, and even the elite. Significant events that stirred the American Revolution found their beginnings in taverns. The Green Dragon Tavern in Boston, for instance, was known as the “Headquarters of the Revolution.” Secret revolutionary groups like the Sons of Liberty met in the basement and planned crucial events, including the Boston Tea Party. While in Philadelphia, the City Tavern was frequented by many members of the Continental Congress, including George Washington and John Adams.
From the Cafe de la Regence to the Boston Tea Party
Portfolio
The Age of Reason
Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward; they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game. —Goethe
John Locke
“For where is the man that has incontestable evidence of the truth of all that he holds, or of the falsehood of all he condemns; or can say that he has examined to the bottom all his own, or other men’s opinions? The necessity of believing without knowledge, nay often upon very slight grounds, in this fleeting state of action and blindness we are in, should make us more busy and careful to inform ourselves than constrain others.”
Rousseau
“Every man having been born free and master of himself, no one else may under any pretext whatever subject him without his consent. To assert that the son of a slave is born a slave is to assert that he is not born a man.”
David Hume
“It is evident that all reasonings concerning matter of fact are founded on the relation of cause and effect, and that we can never infer the existence of one object from another, unless they be connected together, either mediately or immediately… Here is a billiard ball lying on the table, and another ball moving toward it with rapidity. They strike; and the ball which was formerly at rest now acquires a motion. This is as perfect an instance of the relation of cause and effect as any which we know, either by sensation or reflection.”
Adam Smith
“The natural effort of every individual to better his own condition…is so powerful, that it is alone, and without any assistance, not only capable of carrying on the society to wealth and prosperity, but of surmounting a hundred impertinent obstructions with which the folly of human laws too often encumbers its operations.”
Immanuel Kant
“Enlightenment is man’s release from his self-incurred tutelage. Tutelage is man’s inability to make use of his understanding without direction from another. Self-incurred is this tutelage when its cause lies not in lack of reason but in lack of resolution and courage to use it without direction from another. Sapere aude! ‘Have courage to use your own reason!’- that is the motto of enlightenment.”
Denis Diderot
“I picture the vast realm of the sciences as an immense landscape scattered with patches of dark and light. The goal towards which we must work is either to extend the boundaries of the patches of light, or to increase their number. One of these tasks falls to the creative genius; the other requires a sort of sagacity combined with perfectionism.”
The Fathers of Calculus
Learn about the different approaches Leibniz and Newton took to their independent developments of calculus, and the contributions made by Euler and Lagrange.
Antoine Lavoisier, John Dalton, and Alexander von Humboldt represent a sequence of scientific evolution that reshaped the understanding of nature and matter in their times.
Lavoisier, often hailed as the “Father of Modern Chemistry,” introduced the law of conservation of mass and is credited with discovering oxygen. This breakthrough revolutionized the field by debunking the phlogiston theory of combustion. thereby laying the groundwork for understanding chemical reactions.
Building upon Lavoisier’s foundational insights, Dalton delved deeper into the nature of matter, introducing the atomic theory. He proposed that each element consisted of unique atoms, which combined in specific ratios, providing a microscopic explanation for Lavoisier’s macroscopic observations.
The adventuring Von Humboldt, with his “Naturgemälde” or “Nature Painting,” inspired by his explorations in South Americs presented a holistic view of nature, integrating various scientific disciplines. While Lavoisier and Dalton dissected the nature of matter, von Humboldt painted a comprehensive picture of the environment, showcasing the interrelation of its elements. In his depiction, one could see the synthesis of principles elucidated by Lavoisier and Dalton, manifested in the broader canvas of the world.
In essence, from Lavoisier’s elemental foundations to Dalton’s atomic explanations and culminating in von Humboldt’s grand portrayal of nature, we witness a beautiful tapestry of interconnected scientific insights.
Vedic Architecture and the Birth of The Chess Board
