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Article: Diderot, Deni (1713–1784)
- Article from:
- Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World
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DIDEROT, DENI (1713
–
1784)
DIDEROT, DENIS
(1713
–
1784), philosophe and encyclopedist. Denis Diderot was born in Langres on 5 October 1713, the son of Didier Diderot, a master cutler. Although Diderot's fate will forever be linked to his role as general editor with Jean Le Rond d'Alembert of the
Encyclop
é
die
(1751
–
1772), he was perhaps the French Enlightenment's most profound thinker and most innovative writer, making remarkable contributions in the domains of philosophy, art criticism, theater, the essay, and prose fiction. Some of Diderot's greatest works, however, were not published until as late as 1830; he is simultaneously one of the most brilliant and ...