Denis Diderot

Diderot, Denis (1713–84), French encyclopedist, philosopher, and writer. His versatility as a novelist, playwright, and art critic made him prominent in the Enlightenment. His fame rests on the Encyclopédie (1751–71), which he edited with Jean d' Alembert. The Encyclopédie, attempting a comprehensive presentation of human thought and knowledge, presented the scientific discoveries and more advanced thought of the time. As a result, the French government tried to suppress it in 1759. Diderot's works include the play Le Père de Famille (1761) and the novel Jacques le Fataliste (1796).