The Preliminary Discourse to the Encyclopedia of Diderot (Discours Préliminaire des Éditeurs) is the primer to Denis Diderot's Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, par une Société de Gens de lettres, a collaborative collection of all the known branches of the arts and sciences of the 18th-century French Enlightenment. The Preliminary Discourse was written by Jean Le Rond d'Alembert to describe the structure of the articles included in the Encyclopédie and their philosophy, as well as to give the reader a strong background in the history behind the works of the learned men who contributed to what became the most profound circulation of the knowledge of the time.
Background The Preliminary Discourse to the Encyclopedia of Diderot is arguably one of the best introductions to the French Enlightenment, giving forth the idea that man possesses the capability, through his own intelligence and analysis, to alter the conditions of human life. The Encyclopedia constituted a demand of the intellectual community for a refinement of all of the branches of knowledge in reference to past and recent discoveries. Such a compilation of human knowledge would be both secular and naturalistic, discrediting theology as the primary basis. The Discourse, although created by d'Alembert, was actually a result of collaboration with other "men of letters" aiming towards the same progressive goals of the Enlightenment. Three of these major contemporary philosophes that undoubtedly contributed to the guiding philosophies and beliefs of the "Discourse" include Denis Diderot, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Étienne Bonnot de Condillac, with whom d'Alembert was known to have been in contact. These men shared a passion for the dissemination of scientific knowledge. And, although this time period would seem unfavorable to such an endeavor, with Europe undergoing massive political upheaval and general instability, the time was ripe for their ideals to take hold. A thriving community of professionals, aristocrats, and clergy became increasingly responsive to the exchange of ideas that came to characterize and serve as the foundation for the cooperative compilation of information in this Encyclopedia. Before the Discourse was ever created, d'Alembert was actually better known for his scientific and mathematical genius. However, over time, and in part due to his vibrant personality, he befriended Madame du Deffand, whose powerful salon ultimately allowed him to enter the public eye as a philosophe. d'Alembert also became a close ally of Diderot, and eventually, d'Alembert was a man who was held in very high regard among Europe's intellectuals. Ultimately, d'Alembert's tendency to turn more to history to explain the foundations of science and ethics reflects a general historical trend to seek enlightenment and better understanding of human nature in history. Ultimately, the Discourse defines two ways of approaching ideas, one of which being operations of the "isolated mind" (xli) and the other concerning studies of the origins of truth as a function of the progress of a given society. Although the Discourse derives much of its fundamental principles from men such as René Descartes, John Locke and Condillac in a purely metaphysical sense, the effect of historical experience is vital. While the philosophers began the intellectual transformations that became known as the French Enlightenment, scientists all over Europe began to make their own changes in terms of new discoveries, areas they felt required further study, and how they could go about such studies, i.e. their methodology. Many of these new scientists felt that they were rebelling against old forms of science and scientific knowledge, just as the philosophes felt that they were bringing to the world a new way of thinking about humanity and human knowledge. The philosophes were aware of these changes in the field of science, and as such, they fully supported, and arguably adapted, the scientists' new systems of thinking into their philosophical ideas. One can see this in the Discourse itself; d'Alembert attempted to create a method of systematizing and organizing all legitimate information and knowledge as well as make easier and more efficient the unearthing of more knowledge. D'Alembert's motives behind such an enterprise can ultimately be referenced to one of the ideas that he puts forth in the Discourse, for "liberty of action and thought alone is capable of producing great things, and liberty requires only enlightenment to preserve it from excess" (62). Clerical control in the domain of knowledge and intellect was considered detrimental to the progress of human knowledge. Maintaining that the Discourse was ultimately corrosive to hierarchical authority and privilege paved the way for the evolution of egalitarian principles in Western culture. D'Alembert puts forth that all men are equal in their sensations, which is the source of their mind. The ultimate distinction of man is primarily intellectual, which overthrows any preconceived connection between social privilege and knowledge. Therefore, the Encyclopedia as a whole speaks to the general public.
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