Denis Diderot (1713 - 1784)

Denis Diderot (; French: [dəni did(ə)ʁo]; 5 October 1713 – 31 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the Encyclopédie along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during the Age of Enlightenment.

Diderot initially studied philosophy at a Jesuit college, then considered working in the church clergy before briefly studying law. When he decided to become a writer in 1734, his father disowned him. He lived a bohemian existence for the next decade. In the 1740s he wrote many of his best-known works in both fiction and non-fiction, including the 1748 novel Les Bijoux indiscrets (The Indiscreet Jewels).

In 1751 Diderot co-created the Encyclopédie with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. It was the first encyclopedia to include contributions from many named contributors and the first to describe the mechanical arts. Its secular tone, which included articles skeptical about Biblical miracles, angered both religious and government authorities; in 1758 it was banned by the Catholic Church and, in 1759, the French government banned it as well, although this ban was not strictly enforced. Many of the initial contributors to the Encyclopédie left the project as a result of its controversies and some were even jailed. D'Alembert left in 1759, making Diderot the sole editor. Diderot also became the main contributor, writing around 7,000 articles. He continued working on the project until 1765. He was increasingly despondent about the Encyclopédie by the end of his involvement in it and felt that the entire project might have been a waste. Nevertheless, the Encyclopédie is considered one of the forerunners of the French Revolution.

Diderot struggled financially throughout most of his career and received very little official recognition of his merit, including being passed over for membership in the Académie française. His fortunes improved significantly in 1766, when Empress Catherine the Great, who heard of his financial troubles, generously bought his 3,000-volume personal library, amassed during his work on the Encyclopédie, for 15,000 livres, and offered him in addition a thousand more livres per year to serve as its custodian while he lived. He received 50 years' "salary" up front from her, and stayed five months at her court in Saint Petersburg in 1773 and 1774, sharing discussions and writing essays on various topics for her several times a week.

Diderot's literary reputation during his life rested primarily on his plays and his contributions to the Encyclopédie; many of his most important works, including Jacques the Fatalist, Rameau's Nephew, Paradox of the Actor, and D'Alembert's Dream, were published only after his death.^{: 678–679}

Denis Diderot (5. oktoober 1713 Prantsusmaa, Langres – 31. juuli 1784 Pariis) oli prantsuse filosoof ja kirjanik, entsüklopedist.

Diderot sündis käsitööliste suguvõsas. Tema vanaisa oli valmistanud söögiriistu, isa Didier Diderot (1685–1759) meditsiinitarbeid ja tema skalpellid olid kuulsad. Ema Angélique Vigneron (1677–1748) oli sündinud parkali peresse. Vanematele sündis 3 poega ja 4 tütart. Vanim laps, poeg, suri pisikesena ja Denis oli vanuselt järgmine laps. Ülejäänud lastest suri väiksena ainult teine tütar.

1751 asutas ta koos Jean le Rond d'Alembert'iga prantsuse esimese entsüklopeedia. Diderot oli selle peatoimetaja ja d'Alembert kaastoimetaja. See oli maailma esimene entsüklopeedia, millel oli palju nimekaid kaastöölisi. Entsüklopeedia ilmalik toon ja kriitiline suhtumine piiblisse, eriti selle imedesse pahandas nii ilmalikke kui vaimulikke võime. 1758 kanti Entsüklopeedia katoliku kiriku keelatud raamatute loendisse Index Librorum Prohibitorumisse ja 1759 keelustas selle ka Prantsusmaa valitsus, ehkki kumbagi keeldu ei järgitud rangelt. Paljud kaastöölised, sealhulgas d'Alembert, loobusid 1759 Entsüklopeediaga tegelemast ja Diderot jätkas kuni 1765. aastani peaaegu üksi, kirjutades Entsüklopeediasse 7 tuhat artiklit.

Diderot teised tuntumad teosed on "Rameau vennapoeg" ja "Fatalist Jacques ja tema isand". Mõlemad on ilmunud ka eesti keeles. Diderot' ülejäänud teosed peale Entsüklopeedia on kirjutatud põhiliselt 1740. aastatel.

Diderot oli kogu oma elu rahalistes raskustes. Need leevenesid märgatavalt 1766, kui Venemaa keisrinna Katariina II ostis Diderot' 3 tuhande köitelise raamatukogu 15 000 liivri eest ja kutsus ta enda õukonda Peterburisse, kus Diderot viibiski 1773–74 5 kuud.

Diderot abiellus 1743 Anne-Antoinette Championiga (1710–96). Neile sündis neli last, kellest mõlemad pojad ja vanem tütar surid väikelapsena, aga noorem tütar Marie Angélique Diderot (1753–1824) sai täiskasvanuks. Diderot polnud oma naisele truu ja tal oli palju armukesi, siiski kestis abielu tema surmani.

Denis Diderot (5. lokakuuta 1713 Langres – 31. heinäkuuta 1784 Pariisi) oli ranskalainen valistuksen ajan filosofi, taidearvostelija ja kirjailija, joka on tunnettu erityisesti toimittamastaan tietosanakirjasta, vuosina 1751–1772 ilmestyneestä teoksesta Encyclopédie.

Denis Diderot (fødd 5. oktober 1713 i Langres i Frankrike, død 31. juli 1784 i Paris) var ein fransk filosof, forfattar og redaktør av det fyrste moderne leksikonet. Han vart ein av dei mest framståande personane i opplysningstida og blant dei mest radikale og fritalande, som førte til at han vart arrestert fleire gonger. Diderot var overtydd om at dersom religiøse dogme vika for fornufta, og fornufta fekk fullt spelerom, kunne menneska løyse alle problema sine. Han vart ogso kjent for å kome fram med «utrivelege tankar» - som at den frie viljen er ein illusjon, at Gud ikkje eksisterer og at universet ikkje har ei meining. Han stod for ateisme, individualisme og materialisme.

Denis Diderot, född 5 oktober 1713 i Langres, död 31 juli 1784 i Paris, var en fransk författare och upplysningsfilosof. Han var redaktör för den stora franska Encyklopedin. Universitet Paris Diderot är senare namngivet efter honom.