Biography of Denis Diderot

Encyclopedic illuminations

5 October 1713
31 July 1784
Denis Diderot, French philosopher and writer, was born on 5 Oct 1713 in Langres, a provincial town to a wealthy bourgeois family. After studying at the Jesuit College in the city, he moved to Paris to enroll at the University where he graduated brilliantly in 1732. After his studies for young Denis promises a future bitter and full of uncertainties, devoid as it is of any support and by any professional experience. Adapts to different jobs, although luckily covered by pretty much everyone within its remit: public scribe, tutor, translator. Like many other young moneyed little of his age, he attended the lounges and cafes where they circulate the Illuminism and libertine.
And it is precisely here that knows Jean Jacques Rousseau, "Hothead" aimed at influencing European culture so deeply. The two go immediately agreed: the agreement is deep on many aspects of life and ideas, but it is now historically established that their friendship was not of the easiest, mainly because of the restless nature of both. Meanwhile, Diderot, always intent on studying both modern and ancient languages, is being done as a translator. In this way becomes aware of important texts affecting his way of thinking. One of these is the "essay on the virtue and merit" of Shaftesbury, which enhances its content praising freedom and openness toward other cultures.
Under the tumultuous urgency of his soul and ideas surrounding it feels the need to intervene in person in the cultural debate and throws himself headlong in the drafting of the famous "philosophical thoughts" of enlightenment, especially in 1746, exquisitely brand theme of religion, where emphasizes the idea of a God suprasensible and away from patterns of revealed religions. In the wake of the great host spread out even the essays "the sufficiency of natural religion" and "La passeggiata dello scettico", harshly critical of the superstition and intolerance. Dates back to 1748 libertine novel "indiscreet jewels" and the "letter on the blind 1749 for use by those who see" intonation sensista and materialistic. Imprisoned in Vincennes because of these writings, considered subversive, Diderot spent five months in a prison camp fortunately not very hard and oppressive.
Meanwhile began the great adventure of the Encyclopédie, which will tirelessly for the next fifteen years: by this work Diderot will be the most tireless creator, seeing in it an indispensable cultural and political battle and, after the defection of d'Alembert in 1759, supporting almost alone. Vice versa will not generally public circulation to their writings, many of which remain so completely unknown outside the small circle of philosophes, to be published only after many decades after his death (some even after the second world war). Belong to this period (the publication of the encyclopedia will end permanently only in 1773) other important works like "the interpretation of nature" or "d'Alembert's dream", as well as the novels such as "the nun", "Jacques the fatalist" dialogue "Rameau's nephew".
Diderot tried also with theatre, where he gave evidence of rare ability: just think of the piece as "the son" or "the family man". The private life of the philosopher-writer plan is also characterized by the idea of freedom. Despite being married since 1743 with corniciaia Antoinette Champion (which will give him a much-loved daughter), will not miss a lover, Sophie Volland, known in 1756 and bears beautiful letters. Their correspondence is still considered valuable biographical, literary and historical. In 1773 Diderot went to Petersburg where stretches the Empress Catherine II several projects of reform of society and education. Perhaps because of the huge blow for Sophie's death, which occurred on 22 February 1784, on 31 July of the same year the philosopher died in Paris.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.