Jacques the Fatalist is a provocative exploration of the problems of human existence, destiny, and free will. In the introduction to this brilliant translation, David Coward explains the philosophical basis of Diderot's fascination with fate and examines
One of the key figures of the French Enlightenment, Denis Diderot was a passionate critic of conventional morality, society and religion. Among his greatest and most well-known works, these two dialogues are dazzling examples of his radical scientific and
The Indiscreet Jewels (also translated as The Talking Pussy) is perhaps the most daring of Diderot's 'philosophical' novels—a fearlessly libertine fable on the order of such ribald classics as "Boccaccio" and "Rabelais." Published in 1748, this fiction
Les protagonistes du dialogue de Diderot, A et B, discutent du Voyage autour du monde du navigateur français Louis Antoine de Bougainville récemment paru (en 1771). B propose de parcourir un prétendu Supplément qui remet en question certaines prétend
Pour Diderot, le théâtre ne saurait être pure délectation, il doit prendre sa place dans le grand mouvement expressif, critique et novateur auquel, personnellement, il a délibérément consacré la majeure part de son activité d'homme.
D'Holbach believed that the misery he saw in mankind around him was caused by religion and its superstitious beliefs - that there was a God who controlled destiny and would reward and punish individuals. The System of Nature was written to replace these d
