| − | During the [[French Revolution]] Lavoisier was a moderate constitutionalist who came under heavy attack from the far left, especially [[Jean Paul Marat]]. His work with the unpopular Ferme Generale led to his trial during the [[Reign of Terror]]. Called to account for his actions as farmer-general, one in particular "putting water in the tobacco," and condemned to the [[guillotine]]; he in vain begged for a fortnight's respite to finish some experiments. His execution was not without criticism, as several people were outraged that the revolutionaries had "condemn[ed] a great learned man to death", only for one of the executioners, Caffinhals, to state in reply that "the Revolution has no need of learned men." (see [[Atheism and science]]) | + | During the [[French Revolution]] Lavoisier was a moderate constitutionalist who came under heavy attack from the far left, especially [[Jean Paul Marat]]. His work with the unpopular Ferme Generale led to his trial during the [[Reign of Terror]]. Called to account for his actions as farmer-general, one in particular "putting water in the tobacco," and condemned to the [[guillotine]]; he in vain begged for a fortnight's respite to finish some experiments. His execution was not without criticism, as several people were outraged that the revolutionaries had "condemn[ed] a great learned man to death", only for one of the executioners, Jean-Baptiste Coffinhal, to state in reply that "the Revolution has no need of learned men." (see [[Atheism and science]]) |