Diderot and d’Alembert & the Encyclopaedia

Before Wikipedia, there was the paper encyclopaedia!

It all started in 1745 when a Parisian publisher wanted to have the British Cyclopaedia (a 2 volume dictionary of arts and sciences) translated into French. Over the following months, the publisher rallied two great writers: Diderot and D’Alembert and the idea evolved into a much more ambitious project: gathering all human knowledge!

The “Rational Dictionary of the Arts, Sciences and Crafts” was born and required over 20 years to compound 74,000 entries and 21 million words into 35 tomes! And all that without a MacBook! Diderot and D’Alembert enlisted 150 other writers including Voltaire and Rousseau and most contributors did not even get paid for their work. This was a labour of love and contribution to mankind!

The first volume was published in 1751 and the disapproval of the Catholic Church and King Louis XV escalated over the next few years. On 5th March 1759, Pope Clement XIII banned the Encyclopaedia and ordered for it to be burned. It took years of printing abroad, getting support from enlightened ministers of the King for Diderot to see the project through.

Next time you go on Wikipedia, have a thought for Diderot and D’Alembert!