The Encyclopédie
Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie gathered the great minds of the age; banned again and again, it was seen through to completion — a monument that turned "Enlightenment" from an idea into an enterprise.
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Diderot
Editor of the Encyclopédie, Enlightenment materialist
Remembered for a Single Line · Small Roles, Famous Names
EnlightenmentMaterialismEncyclopédie
Who they are
Diderot (1713–1784), the organizer of the French Enlightenment, edited the Encyclopédie over more than two decades, compiling reason, science and craft knowledge as a weapon against ignorance and tyranny. In later life he leaned toward materialism and atheism — bold and prolific.
Primary sourcesThe EncyclopédieDiderot, Rameau’s Nephew
Key stories
Relationships
Ally
Echoes today
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.
The encyclopedic spiritThe modern encyclopedia and the idea of open, shared knowledge trace back here.