Denis Diderot: The Radical Atheist Who Cataloged the World
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Show Notes
In this episode of pplpod, we explore the chaotic and brilliant life of Denis Diderot, the French philosopher best known for co-founding and editing the massive Encyclopédie. We discuss the twenty years of "incessant drudgery" and persecution he endured to produce the 28-volume set, a secular work that angered religious authorities but became a forerunner to the French Revolution,,.
Beyond the encyclopedia, we dive into Diderot's "bohemian existence" in Paris after being disowned by his father and his imprisonment in the Vincennes fortress for his early evolutionary and atheistic writings,. Tune in to hear about his scandalous fiction, including a novel about a magical ring that made women's "jewelry" confess their sexual experiences, and his unique relationship with Catherine the Great, who complained that his enthusiastic conversation left her thighs bruised.