Diderot, l’encyclopédie et les lumières radicales
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Recherches sur Diderot et sur l'encyclopédie, 2014, No. 49, OnlineOnly
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THOMSON, Ann, Diderot, l’encyclopédie et les lumières radicales, Recherches sur Diderot et sur l’encyclopédie, 2014, No. 49, OnlineOnly - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/33811
Abstract
On revient ici sur l’histoire des « Lumières radicales » de Jonathan Israel, histoire qui a déjà fait couler beaucoup d’encre, et notamment sur son dernier volume : Democratic Enlightenment, et son traitement de Diderot et de l’Encyclopédie. On montre que le parti-pris de l’auteur — qui interprète tout à travers une opposition entre un système philosophique radical qui serait celle de l’Encyclopédie, ainsi que de Diderot, d’Holbach, Raynal etc, et celle de Locke et de Newton défendue par les « modérés » (notamment par Voltaire) et par les autorités religieuses — ne permet pas d’en comprendre les enjeux intellectuels. Le schéma simpliste qu’il impose ainsi que son ignorance de pans entiers des recherches récentes, déforment la réalité historique.
This short article revisits Jonathan Israel’s history of the ‘Radical Enlightenment’, discussing in particular how the controversial latest volume,Democratic Enlightenment, presents Diderot and the Encyclopédie. It shows how the author’s rigid interpretative system — based on what is represented as a fundamental opposition between a systematic radical philosophy defended by theEncyclopédie as well as by Diderot, d’Holbach, Raynal etc, and the philosophy of Locke and Newton defended by both the ‘moderates’ (in particular Voltaire) and the religious establishment — precludes any real understanding of the thought of the period. The simplistic model he imposes, combined with his neglect of much recent research, results in a deformation of historical reality.
This short article revisits Jonathan Israel’s history of the ‘Radical Enlightenment’, discussing in particular how the controversial latest volume,Democratic Enlightenment, presents Diderot and the Encyclopédie. It shows how the author’s rigid interpretative system — based on what is represented as a fundamental opposition between a systematic radical philosophy defended by theEncyclopédie as well as by Diderot, d’Holbach, Raynal etc, and the philosophy of Locke and Newton defended by both the ‘moderates’ (in particular Voltaire) and the religious establishment — precludes any real understanding of the thought of the period. The simplistic model he imposes, combined with his neglect of much recent research, results in a deformation of historical reality.
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Published online: 16 November 2014