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Diderot and the Encyclopaedists

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Diderot and the Encyclopaedists DEEO T AND THE ENCYCLOPAEDISTS BY VOL. I. 499325 Si. to-4- ) MACMILLAN AND CO. AND NEW YORK 1891 /b First chewlicre f>i<2>lislied New Edition 1886. Reprinted i PREFACE. a series of studies on the THE present work closes for the French Eevolution. It literary preparation on Voltaire and differs from the companion volumes In Rousseau, in being much more fully descriptive. educated the case of those two famous writers, every Of reader knows more or less of their performances. cannot be Diderot and his circle, such knowledge have therefore it taken for granted, and I thought which I best to occupy a considerable space, hope these that those who do me the honour to read pages more than will not find excessive, with what is little Such a method will at least transcript or analysis. enable the reader to see what those ideas really were, France on which the social and economic condition of to men. the eve of the convulsion made so welcome are The shortcomings of the encyclopaedic group been obvious enough. They have lately emphasised of that in the ingenious and one-sided exaggerations The social brilliant man of letters, Mr. Taine. viii PKEFACE. of their significance and the positive quality of much writing is more easily missed, and this side of their work it has been one of my principal objects, alike in the case of Voltaire, of Rousseau, and of Diderot, to bring into the prominence that it deserves in the history of opinion. The edition of Diderot s works to which the refer ences are made, is that in twenty volumes by the late Mr. Asse"zat and Mr. Maurice Tourneux. The only other serious book on Diderot with which I am acquainted is Rosenkranz s valuable Diderot s Leben, published in 1866, and abounding in full and patient knowledge. Of the numerous criticisms on Diderot by Raumer, Arndt, Hettner, Damiron, Bersot, and above all by Mr. Carlyle, I need not make more particular mention. May, 1878. NOTE. SINCE the following pages were printed, an American corre spondent writes to me with reference to the dialogue between Franklin and Eaynal, mentioned on page 218, Vol. II. : "I have now before me Volume IV. of the American Law Journal, printed at Philadelphia in the year 1813, and at page 458 find in full, The Speech of Miss Polly Baker, delivered before a " court of judicature in Connecticut, where she was prosecuted. Raynal, therefore, would have been right if instead of Massa chusetts he had said Connecticut, and either Franklin told an untruth, or else Silas Deaue. September, 1878. CONTENTS OF VOL. I. CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY. The Church in the middle of the century Xew phase in the revolt ...- The Encyclopaedia, its symbol End of the reaction against the Encyclopaedia . Diderot s position in the movement CHAPTER IT. YOUTH. , . H Birth and birthplace (1713). His family ....." Men of letters in Paris 15 . , . .17 Diderot joins their company character . .19 His life in Paris : his friendly 25 Stories of his good-nature ...... His tolerance for social reprobates ..... 29 His literary struggles . .... 32 Marriage (1743) .. ... X CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. EARLY WRITINGS. PAGE Diderot s mismanagement of his own talents ... 36 writer 39 Apart from this, a great talker rather than a great A man of the Socratic type . .41 Hack-work for the booksellers ..... 43 44 The Philosophical Thoughts (1746) .... Shaftesbury s influence 48 Scope of the Philosophical Thoughts .... 50 On the Sufficiency of Natural Keligion (1747) ... 60 Explanation of the attraction of Natural Religion . 61 Police supervision over men of letters .... 64 66 Two pictures of the literary hack ..... Seizure of the Sceptic s Walk (1747) .... 68 Its drift 72 A volume of stories (1748) ...... 75 Diderot s view of the fate and character of women . 77 CHAPTER IV. THE NEW PHILOSOPHY. Voltaire s account of Cheselden s operation ... 81 Diderot publishes the Letter on the Blind (1749) . 82 83 Its significance ........ Condillac and Diderot . .84 Account of the Letter on the Blind .... 85 to The pith of it, an application of Relativity the concep tion of God 89 Saunderson of Cambridge . .90 Argument assigned to him ...... 91 Curious anticipation of a famous modern hypothesis . 94 CONTENTS. XI PAGE Voltaire s criticism ........ 97 Effect of Diderot s philosophic position on the system of the Church 99 Not merely a dispute in metaphysics . .101 . 103 Illustration of Diderot s practical originality Points of literary interest . .103 The Letter on Deaf Mutes (1751) 104 Condillac s Statue 106 108 Diderot imprisoned at Vincennes (1749) .... Rousseau s visit to him . .113 Breach with Madame de Puisieux 115 115 Diderot released from captivity CHAPTER V. THE ENCYCLOPEDIA. (1) ITS HISTORY. Previous examples of the Encyclopaedic idea . .117 . 120 True parentage of Diderot s Encyclopaedia . 120 Origin of the undertaking ...... character . 124 Co-operation of D Alembert : his history and Diderot and D Alembert on the function of literature . 123_ . .131 Presiding characteristic of the Encyclopaedia Its more eminent contributors . .133 The unsought volunteers . .139 140 Voltaire s share in it . Its compliance with reigning prejudice . .143 144 Its aim, not literature but life ..... Publication of first and second volumes (1751-52) . 147 Affair of De Prades 147 149 Diderot s vindication of him (1752) .... Jansenists 151 Marks rupture between the Philosophers and the . 152 Royal decree suppressing first two volumes (1752) xii CONTENTS. PAGE Failure of the Jesuits to carry on the work . .153 Four more volumes published ...... 154 The seventh volume (1757) ...... 154 Arouses violent hostility ...... 155 1 The storm made fiercer by Helvetius s L Esprit . 158 Proceedings against the Encyclopaedia ..... 159 160 Their significance ........ They also mark singular reaction within the school of Illumination . .162 Ketirement of D Alembert ...... 165 , Diderot continues the work alone for seven . 168 ^Jh years * harassing mortifications . .169 The Encyclopaedia at Versailles ..... 172 Reproduction and imitations . .174 Diderot s payment . .176 (2) GENERAL CONTENTS. Transformation of a speculative into a social attack . 177 Circumstances of practical opportuneness . 178 Broad features of Encyclopaedic revolution . 180 Positive spirit of the Encyclopaedia . .182 call it the of a work . .184 "Why we organ political Articles on Agriculture ....... 185 On the Gabdle and the Taille ...... 186 On Privilege ......... 187 On the Corvee ........ 189 On the Militia ........ 190 On Endowments, Fairs, and Industrial Guilds . .191 On Game and the Chase ....... 192 Enthusiasm for the details of industry .... 193 Meaning of the importance assigned to industry and science 195 Intellectual side of the change ..... 196 Attitude of the Encyclopaedia to religion . 198 CONTENTS. Xlll PAGE head . Diderot s intention under this intention How far the scheme fulfilled his The Preliminary Discourse 205 discussion . Recognition of the value of 206 And of toleration (3) DIDEHOT S COXTRISUTIOXS. Their immense confusion Constant insinuation of sound doctrines . 213 And of practical suggestions Diderot not always above literary trifling 21 ^ No taste for barren erudition On Montaigne and Bayle Occasional bursts of moralising 2.13 Varying attitude as to theology 221 The practical arts .. 099 Second-hand sources 224 Inconsistencies Treatment of metaphysics 99R. On Spinosa . On Leibnitz . t On Liberty . 9^7 Astonishing self-contradiction . 238 Political articles ...- On the mechanismin of government . 244 Anticipation of Cobdenic ideas . .246 Conclusion-, , .. CHAPTER VI. SOCIAL LIFE (1759-1770). Volanil . .248 Diderot s relations with Madame 249 His letters to her XIV CONTENTS. PAGE His Regrets on My Old Dressing-gown .... 252 Domestic discomfort ....... 255 His indomitable industry ...... 258 Life at Grandval 259 Meditations on human existence . .264 Interest in of . the casuistry human feeling . .266 Various sayings ........ 268 A point in rhetoric ........ 270 Holbach s impressions of England ..... 270 Two cases of conscience ....... 272 A story of human wickedness ...... 274 Method and Genius : an Apologue ..... 276 Conversation . .278 Annihilation ......... 279 Characteristic of the century ...... 282 Diderot s inexhaustible friendliness ..... 284 The Abbe Monnier 285 Mademoiselle Jodin ....... 286 Landois 287 Rousseau 290 Grimm 292 Diderot s money affairs ....... 295 Succour rendered by Catherine of Russia .... 297 French booksellers in the eighteenth century . 298 Dialogue between Diderot and D Alembert . 304 English opinion on Diderot s circle ..... 306 CHAPTER VII. THE STAGE. In what sense Diderot the greatest genius of the century 309 Mark of his theory of the drama . .310 Diderot s influence on Lessing . .311 CONTEXTS. xv PAGE 313 His play, The Natural Son (1757) Its quality illustrated . .314 His sense of the importance of pantomime . 317 The dialogues appended to The Natural Son . 320 His second play, The Father of the Family (175S) . 320 One radical error of his dramatic doctrine . 324 Modest opinion of his own experiments . .327 His admiration for Terence ...... 328 Diderot translates Moore s Gamester .... 329 On Shakespeare ........ 330 The Paradox on the Player 332 Account of Garrick ....... 334 On the truth of the stage 337 His condemnation of the French classic stage . 337 The foundations of dramatic art 338 Diderot claims to have created a new kind of drama . 341 Xo Diderotian school ....... 343 Why the Encyclopaedists could not replace the classic drama ......- 346 . 347 The great drama of the eighteenth century CHAPTER VIII. " RAMEAU S NEPHEW." . 348 The mood that inspired this composition 350 History of the text . 352 Various accounts of the design of EameaiCs Nephew 353 Juvenal s Parasite ..... Lucian .....- 3oo 357 Diderot s picture of his original 359 Xot without imaginative strokes ..... 361 More than a literary diversion . .362 Sarcasms on Palissot . .364 The musical controversy . ERRATUM. of Mdlle. Voland s death is as 1774. On p. 34 the date given It ought probably to be 1784 or 1783.
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