Isaac Beeckman

[2][3] Beeckman was born in Middelburg, Zeeland,[1] to a strongly Calvinistic family, which had fled from the Spanish-controlled Southern Netherlands a few years before.

He had a strong early education in his home town and went on to study theology, literature and mathematics in Leiden.

Since the beginning of his studies he did keep an extensive journal ("Journaal" in Dutch), from which his brother published posthumous some of his observations in 1644 the treatise Mathematico-physicarum meditationum, quaestionum, solutionum centuria.

The scope of Beeckman's ideas did not come to light until the science historian Cornelis de Waard rediscovered the Journaal in 1905, and published it in volumes between 1939 and 1953.

For example, he had deeply impressed Mersenne, despite their opposing religious views,[3] as well as Pierre Gassendi, who apparently had been turned by Beeckman to the philosophy of Epicurus (atomism).