Often described as the culmination of the French Enlightenment, the Encyclopédie was collected not only to serve as a comprehensive reference work, but to “change the way men think” about every aspect of the human and natural worlds. In his celebrated “Preliminary Discourse” to the compilation, d’Alembert traced an entire history of modern philosophy and science designed to chart the way toward a sweeping Baconian project of improving the world through usable knowledge. This anthology is the first endeavor to bring together the most significant political writing from the entire twenty-million-word compendium. It includes eighty-one of the most original, controversial, and representative articles on political ideas, practices, and institutions, many translated into English for the first time. The articles cover such topics as the foundations of political order, the relationship between natural and civil liberty, the different types of constitutional regimes, the role of the state in economic and religious affairs, and the boundaries between manners, morals, and laws. In addition to Diderot’s early and important articles “Political Authority,” the “Citizen,” and “Natural Right” and the substantial treatments of subjects such as the “Legislator” (by Saint-Lambert), “Representation” (by d’Holbach), “Population” (by Damilaville), and “Political Economy” (by Quesnay), the anthology will also introduce to many English-language readers the tireless figure of Chevalier Louis de Jaucourt (1704–80), who wrote about 18,000 articles, or about 25 percent of the Encyclopédie. Jaucourt’s numerous articles on political topics did much to solidify the new political teachings of the natural-law tradition, the English Whig writers, the Huguenot diaspora, and particularly Montesquieu, whose Spirit of the Laws had appeared shortly before the first volume of the Encyclopédie itself.
Author(s): Denis Diderot, Jean Le Rond d’Alembert
Edition: 1
Publisher: Liberty Fund
Year: 2016
Language: English
Commentary: TruePDF
Pages: 833
Tags: Political Science: Encyclopedias
Cover
Half Title Page, p. i
Frontispiece, p. ii
Frontispiece, p. iii
Full Title Page, p. v
Copyright Page, p. vi
Contents, p. vii
Alphabetical List of Articles, p. xiii
Introduction, p. xvii
Contributors, p. xxv
A Note on the Text, p. xli
Translators' Note, p. xliii
A Note on Currency, p. xlix
Acknowledgments, p. li
Part: Encyclopedic Liberty, p. 1
Volume 1 (1751), p. 1
The Divine Voice (Aius-Locutius), p. 3
Political Arithmetic (Arithmétique Politique), p. 5
Political Authority (Autorité Politique), p. 12
Volume 2 (1752), p. 21
Brownists (Brownistes), p. 23
Celibacy (Célibat), p. 26
Volume 3 (1753), p. 45
Masterpiece (Chef-d'Œuvre), p. 47
Citizen (Citoyen), p. 49
Trading Company (Compagnie de Commerce), p. 55
Competition (Concurrence), p. 65
Conquest (Conquête), p. 68
Volume 4 (1754), p. 75
Public Corruption (Corruption Publique), p. 77
Democracy (Démocratie), p. 78
Despotism (Despotisme), p. 86
Volume 5 (1755), p. 95
Natural Right (Droit Naturel), p. 97
Natural Law (Droit de la Nature), p. 103
Public Law (Droit Public), p. 113
Natural Equality (Egalité Naturelle), p. 119
Eulogy for President Montesquieu (Eloge de M. le Président de Montesquieu), p. 122
Child (Enfant), p. 139
Savings (Epargne), p. 145
Pin (Epingle), p. 165
Slavery (Esclavage), p. 167
Volume 6 (1756), p. 185
State of Nature (Etat de Nature), p. 187
Compound States (Etats Composés), p. 193
Volume 7 (1757), p. 197
Foundation (Fondation), p. 199
Gallantry (Galanterie), p. 209
Geneva (Genève), p. 211
Government (Gouvernement), p. 227
Cereals (Grains), p. 239
Volume 8 (1765), p. 257
Habeas Corpus, p. 259
Man (Homme), p. 261
Honor (Honneur), p. 264
Poorhouse (Hôpital), p. 274
Tax (Impôt), p. 278
Indissoluble, p. 288
Industry (Industrie), p. 289
Innovation, p. 294
Intendants (Intendans), p. 295
Invention, p. 300
Volume 9 (1765), p. 305
Legislator (Législateur), p. 307
Legislation (Législation), p. 328
Natural Liberty (Liberté Naturelle), p. 329
Civil Liberty (Liberté Civile), p. 331
Political Liberty (Liberté Politique), p. 333
Liberty; Inscription, Medals (Liberté), p. 335
Liberty; Mythology, Iconology (Liberté), p. 337
Law (Loi), p. 339
Fundamental Law (Loi Fondamentale), p. 349
Lübeck, p. 351
Machiavellianism (Machiavélisme), p. 353
Masterships (Maîtrises), p. 356
Volume 10 (1765), p. 371
Manners (Manière), p. 373
Mores (Mœurs), p. 380
Monarchy (Monarchie), p. 382
Absolute Monarchy (Monarchie Absolue), p. 386
Elective Monarchy (Monarchie Elective), p. 388
Limited Monarchy (Monarchie Limitée), p. 391
Volume 11 (1765), p. 393
Trade (Négoce), p. 395
Political Economy (Œconomie Politique), p. 397
Volume 12 (1765), p. 449
English Parliament (Parlement d'Angleterre), p. 451
Country (Patrie), p. 463
Patriot (Patriote), p. 473
Volume 13 (1765), p. 477
Population, p. 479
Power (Pouvoir), p. 529
Press (Presse), p. 532
Property (Propriété), p. 534
Legislative, Executive Power (Puissance Législative, Exécutrice), p. 536
Volume 14 (1765), p. 539
Representatives (Représentans), p. 541
Republic (République), p. 553
Federal Republic (République Fédérative), p. 556
Rutland, p. 560
Savages (Sauvages), p. 568
Volume 15 (1765), p. 571
Civil Society (Société Civile), p. 573
Sovereigns (Souverains), p. 574
Switzerland (Suisse), p. 579
Sussex, p. 588
Volume 16 (1765), p. 595
Temples of Liberty (Temples de la Liberté), p. 597
Toleration (Tolérance), p. 598
Traffic in Blacks (Traite des Nègres), p. 612
Tyranny (Tyrannie), p. 615
Volume 17 (1765), p. 621
Five Percent Tax (Vingtième), p. 623
Bibliography, p. 721
Index, p. 733
Colophon, p. 780
