Sadi Carnot was born at a time of unrest and political turmoil in France and, due the position of his father, whose fortunes changed dramatically many times, he was brought up in a totally unstable environment of interacting politics and science.
Sadi Carnot ay ipinanganak sa isang panahon ng ligalig at pampulitikang kaguluhan sa Pransya at, dahil ang posisyon ng kanyang ama, ang mga fortunes ay nagbago dramatically maraming beses, siya ay nagdala sa isang ganap na pabagu-bago ng kapaligiran-ugnayan pulitika at agham.