G.W. Leibniz and scientific societies

Efficient scientific study requires organized cooperation between scholars, as well in contemporary science as in the past. The famous philosopher, G. W. Leibniz (1646-1716) regarded as his models for the scientific organizations The Royal Society (founded in 1660) and The Royal Science Academy of France (founded in 1666). 1 These societies were mainly interested in practical applications, although some discussion about natural philosophy and science in general took place. Some scholarly co-2 which must have particularly impressed Leibniz. According to the old standard view, established by Martha Ornstein in the 1920's, the universities progressed very slowly and remained fortresses of old and outdated dogmas whereas the scientific societies were pioneers of the new science. This view is later rejected and the universities are generally seen as important institutions in disseminating the ideas of the scientific revolution. New ideas were gradually accepted to the curriculum with various speed and extent. Leibniz, however, did not have a high regard for the universities. This might have been due to the lack of practise in the curriculum of the universities. In Germany societies, like the Collegium curiosum sive experimentale, which Leibniz joined in 1666, married theory and practise unlike the universities, who were satisfied with the theory alone. Whereas the French Academy was dependent of the King (and in practice, minister Colbert, after whom a relative decline occurred in the institution), The Royal Society was independent scientific society (one can read the text " Nullius in verba " (" believing in nobody's words ") in its coat of arms), which also had its own periodical called The Philosophical Transactions. The Académie des Sciences had also a clear dominance over the French Journal des sçavans, which in some respects was more