This article examines the theoretical debates of geodesy, astronomy and the question of the arctic sublime. Maupertuis' voyage to the equator and the arctic was commissioned in order to determine the shape of the polar caps. The expedition was a testament of astronomical and geodesic techniques. Maupertuis painstakingly analyzed the physical, astronomical and cosmological evidence and conclusions presented by his predecessor Cassini. The precision of this complex methodological process not only

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... denounces the incoherent and disparate findings of Cassini, but more importantly engages the reader himself in evaluating the authenticity of Maupertuis' own observations and conclusions. The author presents descriptions of the hardships and treacherous conditions endured by his team along the arctic journey to Lapland. This less than idyllic Northern geographical landscape endeavors to undertake a theoretical discussion and understanding of the arctic sublime.