Diderot and the Encyclopædists (Vol 1 of 2)

Diderot and the Encyclopædists
(Vol 1 of 2)
by John Morley

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Title: Diderot and the Encyclopædists (Vol 1 of 2)
Author: John Morley
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Language: English
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DIDEROT

AND
THE ENCYCLOPÆDISTS
BY JOHN MORLEY
VOL. I.
LONDON
MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1905

First published elsewhere
New Edition 1886. Reprinted 1891, 1897, 1905

PREFACE.
The present work closes a series of studies on the literary preparation
for the French Revolution. It differs from the companion volumes on
Voltaire and Rousseau, in being much more fully descriptive. In the
case of those two famous writers, every educated reader knows more or
less of their performances. Of Diderot and his circle, such knowledge
cannot be taken for granted, and I have therefore thought it best to
occupy a considerable space, which I hope that those who do me the
honour to read these pages will not find excessive, with what is little
more than transcript or analysis. Such a method will at least enable the
reader to see what those ideas really were, which the social and
economic condition of France on the eve of the convulsion made so
welcome to men. The shortcomings of the encyclopædic group are
obvious enough. They have lately been emphasised in the ingenious
and one-sided exaggerations of that brilliant man of letters, Mr. Taine.

The social significance and the positive quality of much of their 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 references are made, is that
in twenty volumes by the late Mr. Assézat 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 correspondent
writes to me with reference to the dialogue between Franklin and
Raynal, 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
Massachusetts he had said Connecticut; and either Franklin told an
untruth, or else Silas Deane.
September, 1878.

CONTENTS OF VOL. I.
CHAPTER I.
PRELIMINARY.
The Church in the middle of the century New phase in the revolt The

Encyclopædia, its symbol End of the reaction against the Encyclopædia
Diderot's position in the movement
CHAPTER II.
YOUTH.
Birth and birthplace (1713) His family Men of letters in Paris Diderot
joins their company His life in Paris: his friendly character Stories of
his good-nature His tolerance for social reprobates His literary
struggles Marriage (1743)
CHAPTER III.
EARLY WRITINGS.
Diderot's mismanagement of his own talents Apart from this, a great
talker rather than a great writer A man of the Socratic type Hack-work
for the booksellers The Philosophical Thoughts (1746) Shaftesbury's
influence Scope of the Philosophical Thoughts On the Sufficiency of
Natural Religion (1747) Explanation of the attraction of Natural
Religion Police supervision over men of letters Two pictures of the
literary hack Seizure of the Sceptic's Walk (1747) Its drift A volume of
stories (1748) Diderot's view of the fate and character of women
CHAPTER IV.
THE NEW PHILOSOPHY.
Voltaire's account of Cheselden's operation Diderot publishes the Letter
on the Blind (1749) Its significance Condillac and Diderot Account of
the Letter on the Blind The pith of it, an application of Relativity to the
conception of God Saunderson of Cambridge Argument assigned to
him Curious anticipation of a famous modern hypothesis Voltaire's
criticism Effect of Diderot's philosophic position on the system of the
Church Not merely a dispute in metaphysics Illustration of Diderot's
practical originality Points of literary interest The