Denis Diderot

Statue of Denis Diderot in the Place St Germain-des-Pres, Paris

Denis Diderot, the French philosopher and writer, served as chief editor of the Encyclopédie, and was a prime shaper of the Enlightenment period. Born on this date in 1713, Diderot was a prolific writer of novels, essays and plays, and became one of the first influential art critics. Originally asked to translate Ephraim Chambers's Cyclopaedia, or Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences into French, Diderot proposed to put together a fuller collection of essays on a wide range of subjects and ideas of the time. His suggestion was accepted and it evolved into the 35-volume Encyclopédie.

Previous:	Denim
Next:	Denis Papin

From our Archives: Today's Highlights, October 5, 2008