Quick Facts
Biography
Libert Froidmont (Latin: Libertus Fromondus, 3 September 1587 in Haccourt-Liège – 28 October 1653 in Louvain) a son of Gerard Libert de Froidmont and Marguerite Radoux, was a Belgian theologian and scientist. He has been a close companion to Cornelius Jansen and corresponded with René Descartes.
Froidmont was educated by the Jesuits in his natal Haccourt Liège and studied philosophy in Louvain at the Falcon college. He became friends with Jansenius but did not pursue his studies and instead went to teach first at Antwerp and later back at Louvain. His scientific interests lead him to publish on physics and mathematics. Acknowledging him as an authority on meteors, Descartes sent him his Essais which Froidmont received rather critically. The scientific revolution may have been underway but Froidmont, who was well informed on many scientific matters, kept a traditionalist Aristotelian view. While teaching philosophy he also started studying theology and obtained a doctorate in 1628. Meanwhile he had become close to Jansenius who left to his care the posthumous publication of the Augustinus. Froidmont inherited from him the chair in Scripture at Louvain.
Works
- Coenae saturnalitiae, variatiae Somnio sive Peregrinatione coelesti (Louvain, 1616)
- Dissertatio de cometa anni 1618 (Anvers, 1619)
- Meteorologicum libri VI (Anvers, 1627)
- Labyrinthus sive de compositione continui (Anvers, 1631)
- Commentarii in libros Quaestionum naturalium Senecae (Anvers, 1632)
- Anti-Aristarchus sive orbis terrae immobilis adversus Philippum Lansbergium (Anvers, 1634)