Person: Morin, Jean-Baptiste

Jean-Baptiste Morin was a French astrologer and astronomer who attempted to solve the longitude problem using lunar observations.

During the years 1613 to 1621 Morin was employed by the Bishop of Boulogne.
During this period Morin published a defence of Aristotle (1624) and he also worked on optics.
Morin was appointed professor of mathematics at the Collège Royal in 1630 and he was to hold this post until his death.
Morin remained firmly convinced that the Earth was fixed in space.
Morin is best remembered for his attempts to solve the longitude problem.
Since Morin put forward his method for a longitude prize, a committee was set up by Cardinal Richelieu to evaluate it.
Étienne Pascal, Mydorge, Beaugrand, Hérigone, J C Boulenger and L de la Porte served on the committee and they were in dispute with Morin for the five years after he made his proposal.
Morin realised that instruments had to be improved, improved methods of solving spherical triangles had to be found and better lunar tables were needed.
Morin refused to listen to objections to his proposal.
Even while the dispute was going on, in 1638, Morin attacked Descartes saying that he had realised as soon as they met how bad his philosophy was.
These disputes alienated Morin from the scientific community.

Born 23 February 1583, Villefranche, Beaujolais, France. Died 6 November 1656, Paris, France.

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Astronomy, Geography

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O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive