The Origin of the Encyclopedia
The origin of the Encyclopedia is an interesting one. It all started in 1728 with a man by the name of Andre Franiois Le-Breton. As a printer and an entrepreneur, Breton wanted to make a French translation of the Cyclopedia of the Englishman Ephraim Chambers. Started in Athens in 200 B.C.E., the Cyclopedia of the Englishman was the largest compilation of human knowledge the world had ever seen up to that point in time. It was Breton’s ambition to translate the Cyclopedia of the Englishman into French. There was a rough start to Breton’s project; his translators were unskilled and doing a poor job. Breton did not know what to do. Then he called in Denis Diderot and Jean d’Almbert to finish the job (Wernick, paragraphs 3-7). Diderot saw this as an opportunity to expand on the concept behind the encyclopedia and to change the way the world perceives knowledge.
Denis Diderot was born in 1713, in France. He grew up during the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was when philosophers were inspired by the scientific revolution. Both philosophers and scientists were interested in questioning conventional beliefs. Philosophers questioned the role of governments and the power of individual rights and freedoms (Tarabra, 89). These ideas swarmed around Diderot as a child. As an adult, he authored many philosophical books, such as Philosophical Thoughts and Letter on the Blind; he became an important Enlightenment thinker of his time (Harrison, Wood, and Gaiger, 581). When called in by Breton, no later than 1750, he would incorporate his ideas into a vastly transformed project. Diderot, in time, would change the way people see knowledge forever.
Denis Diderot was born in 1713, in France. He grew up during the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was when philosophers were inspired by the scientific revolution. Both philosophers and scientists were interested in questioning conventional beliefs. Philosophers questioned the role of governments and the power of individual rights and freedoms (Tarabra, 89). These ideas swarmed around Diderot as a child. As an adult, he authored many philosophical books, such as Philosophical Thoughts and Letter on the Blind; he became an important Enlightenment thinker of his time (Harrison, Wood, and Gaiger, 581). When called in by Breton, no later than 1750, he would incorporate his ideas into a vastly transformed project. Diderot, in time, would change the way people see knowledge forever.