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😉 Greetings to regular readers and visitors of the site! In the article “Denis Diderot: biography, interesting facts” about the life and work of the French writer, philosopher, educator and playwright.
Biography of Diderot
Denis Diderot was born in October 1713 in the family of a wealthy craftsman, whose ancestors were also skilled craftsmen or clergymen. This predetermines the fate of the young Diderot. His father stubbornly insists that his son devote himself specifically to theology.
At the age of 13, the young man enters a Jesuit college. Two years later, he went to Paris. The liberal spirit of the French capital completely changes it.
Instead of devoting himself to theology, the young man is literally fascinated by the natural sciences. He is engaged in literature and art. Denis is ready to defend his master’s degree in jurisprudence, but realizes that this is not his path: he dreams of seriously devoting himself to literature.
The Encyclopedia and the Age of Enlightenment
In 1747, Diderot was invited to take part in the creation of the French version of the English Encyclopedia, which had been translated earlier, but a large number of mistakes were made. In collaboration with D’Alembert, Diderot implemented a large-scale Encyclopedia project entitled The General Dictionary of Science and Crafts.
The work on its creation lasted for almost a quarter of a century. Diderot faces difficulties and obstacles that really threatened to end the project. The first volume was published in 1751, and the last, 17th volume, was published only 21 years later. Voltaire, Rousseau, Holbach, Montesquieu took part in the work on the encyclopedia.
The preface to the encyclopedia was written by D’Alembert and is perceived as a kind of manifesto of the Enlightenment.
The “Encyclopedia” has become a bright symbol for the French and all European countries. The Enlightenment of the XNUMXth century was reminiscent of the gay period of the Renaissance. But the pagan intoxication of the fullness and grandeur of existence gave way to the philosophical and practical point of view of absolutism and power over the fate of man himself.
This is why the defenders of “enslaved humanity” (the oppressed class) were outstanding thinkers, writers, scientists and prominent public figures.
With the help of the brightest minds of the era, Diderot creates the “Encyclopedia” and uses it as a powerful weapon against the authority of the Church, against conservatism, superstition and an authoritarian political regime.
The Encyclopedia has a spirit of denial and death. She denies absolute, miracles, secrets, metaphysics, contradictions. Established freedom of thought, speech, action and life, as well as universal tolerance. Each doctrine is not spoken directly, but only draws vague hints and arguments.
Diderot is the author of nearly six thousand encyclopedic articles on various topics: anatomy, art, political power, Christianity, philosophy, etc. He was a brilliant and prolific writer with varied interests. He translates and is engaged in literary criticism.
It should be noted that for some time Diderot had a literary secretary – the writer Joseph Joubert.
Works by Diderot
In addition to working on the Encyclopedia, Denis Diderot finds time to write novels and short stories.
In 1794, he published an essay “Lettre sur les aveugles a l’usage de ceux qui voient” (“A letter on the blind, intended for the sighted”). After the publication of the essay, the entire conservative part of society was opposed to him. They condemn him and send him to prison.
He is persecuted because of his atheism and materialistic convictions, expressed unambiguously in his work “Pensees philiques” (Philosophical Thoughts).
Among his philosophical works are dialogical works. Diderot is also the author of several novels. Anonymously publishes his first novel “Les bijoux indiscrets” (Immodest treasures), writes short stories. He calls his famous novel The Nun an encyclopedia.
This is an analysis of the movement of the most subtle mechanisms in the human soul with a moralizing purpose. Diderot does not describe feelings, but only external manifestations. For him, the soul is always associated with the body, psychology, and biology.
The suggestion that “The Nun” is a vulgar novel is considered one of those nonsense that usually has been around for a long time. Today “The Nun” is considered a modern psychological and social novel.
The same applies to another work by Diderot – “Rameau’s Nephew”. The novel is written in an atypical form (dialogue novel) in a satirical and ironic expression, criticizes the old society.
Denis Diderot dedicated his life to serving justice. He is the most prominent exponent of the revolutionary ideology of the third estate in France in the XNUMXth century. He literally influenced all areas of knowledge.
Diderot and his associates pinned their hopes on work not as consistent revolutionaries, but on work through reforms. With a broad program of philosophical, scientific and political education.
Personal life
Thirty-year-old Diderot fell in love with a young girl, Anna, who graduated from a monastery school. The lovers got married secretly. Soon a daughter was born, whom Diderot loved very much. But this marriage was not happy.
Soon, the writer met the woman of his dreams and loved her for the rest of his life. Denis and Sophie Voldem met in 1757, when they were already over forty. Sophie died five months earlier than her lover. Diderot was very sad about the loss. Gastrointestinal illness worsened. He died in Paris on July 31, 1784.
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