Encyclopédistes

Encyclopédistes, the group of writers and philosophers led by Denis Diderot and Jean d'Alembert who contributed to the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonnée des sciences, des arts et des métiers which began to appear in 1751 under Diderot's editorship, eventually running to 35 volumes including indexes. Other leading contributors were Condillac, Helvétius, Voltaire, and the Baron d'Holbach, who played host to the meetings of this loose association. The Encyclopédistes were the leading spirits of the Enlightenment, hoping through this ambitious project to sweep away the superstitions of Church and State by offering a rational account of the universe. See also philosophes.