Denis Diderot
Denis Diderot (1713-84), French philosopher, who with Voltaire helped to create the Enlightenment, the Trench movement that attempted to replace orthodox views with scientific enquiry. His first two philosophical works were condemned for atheism and he was imprisoned for three months. From 1745 to 1772 he edited and contributed to the pioneering 28-volume Encyclopedia (1751-72). Diderot also wrote scholarly works, essays, and translations, as well as philosophical novels, such as Rameau’s Nephew (written 1761-64; published 1821).
