- Digression inevitable in dealing with Diderot [24]
- Richardson’s influence in Europe [26]
- Diderot’s Éloge upon him [28]
- Rousseau and Richardson [29]
- Diderot writes The Nun (1796) [31]
- Circumstances of its composition [32]
- Its intention [33]
- And characteristics [35]
- Sterne [36]
- Diderot writes Jacques le Fataliste [37]
- Its history [38]
- Goethe’s criticism on it [38]
- Nature of Diderot’s imitation of Richardson and Sterne [40]
- No true creation in Jacques le Fataliste [41]
- Its unredeemed grossness [43]
- Its lack of poetry and of flavour [44]
[CHAPTER III.]
Art.
- The Salons [45]
- Qualities of their criticism [45]
- Deep foundation of Diderot’s critical quality [46]
- French art-criticism [48]
- Dufresnoy, Dubos, Webb, André, Batteux [48], [49]
- Travellers in Italy [50]
- Diderot never in Italy [52]
- Spirit of French art in his day [52]
- Greuze, Diderot’s favourite [56]
- Greuze’s Accordée de Village [57]
- Hogarth would have displeased Diderot [59]
- Diderot’s considerateness in criticism [60]
- Boucher [62]
- Fragonard [62]
- Diderot adds literary charm to scientific criticism [63]
- His readiness for moral asides [65]
- His suggestions of pictorial subjects [68]
- His improved versions [69]
- Illustration of his variety of approach [72]
- Diderot’s Essay on Painting [73]
- Goethe’s commentary [73]
- Difference of type between Goethe and Diderot [76]
- Diderot’s Essay on Beauty [78]
- His anticipation of Lessing [82]
- Music [83]
[CHAPTER IV.]
St. Petersburg and the Hague.
- Diderot’s resolution to visit the Empress of Russia [84]
- The Princess Dashkow [84]
- Prince Galitzin [85]
- Diderot in Holland (1773) [86]
- St. Petersburg and Russian civilisation [89]
- The Empress [91]
- Accounts of her by men of affairs [92]
- Her pursuit of French culture [94]
- Her interest in the French philosophic party [96]
- Partly the result of political calculation [98]
- The philosophers and the Partition of Poland [101]
- Rulhière’s narrative of Catherine’s accession [102]
- Falconet, the first Frenchman welcomed by her [104]
- Diderot arrives at St. Petersburg (1773) [106]
- His conversations with the Empress [107]
- Not successful as a politician [108]
- General impression of him [109]
- Grimm outstrips him in court favour [110]
- Diderot’s return to the Hague [112]
- Björnstähl’s report of him [114]
- Contemporary literature in Holland [117]
- Hemsterhuys [118]
- The Princess Galitzin [119]
- Diderot’s return to Paris [121]
[CHAPTER V.]
Helvétius.
- Three works of which Diderot was regarded as the inspirer [123]
- Helvétius’s L’Esprit [123]
- Contemporary protests against it [123]
- Turgot’s weighty criticism [124]
- Real drift of the book [127]
- Account of Helvétius [127]
- The style of his book [134]
- The momentous principle contained in it [135]
- Adopted from Helvétius by Bentham [136]
- Helvétius’s statement of doctrine of Utility [137]
- Miscarriage of the doctrine in his hands [139]
- His fallacy [140]
- True side of his objectionable position [140]
- Helvétius’s reckless presentation of a true theory [141]
- Confusion of beneficence with self-love [142]
- Imitation from Mandeville [143]
- Mean anecdotes [144]
- Nature of Helvétius’s errors [144]
- Explanation of them [146]
- Positive side of his speculation [147]
- Its true significance [149]
- Second great paradox of L’Esprit [149]
- Benjamin Constant’s Adolphe [152]
[CHAPTER VI.]
Holbach’s System of Nature.
- Publication of the System of Nature (1770) [155]
- Its startling effect [156]
- Voltaire’s alarm [158]
- He never understood Holbach’s position [159]
- Account of Holbach [160]
- Disregard of historic opinion in his book [163]
- Its remarkable violence against the government [165]
- The sting of this violence [166]
- The doctrine from which Holbach’s book arose [167]
- Account of Holbach’s Naturalism [168]
- His proposition concerning Man [173]
- He uses the orthodox language about the pride of man [177]
- His treatment of Morals [178]
- Onslaught upon the theory of Free Will [178]
- Connection of necessarianism with humanity in punishment [181]
- His answer to some objections against necessarianism [181]
- Chapter on the Immortality of the Soul [183]
- His enthusiasm for reforms [185]
- The literature of a political revolution [187]
- Misrepresentation of Holbach’s ethical theory [188]
- The System of Nature, a protest against ascetic ideals [191]
- The subject of the second half of the book [193]
- Repudiation of the à priori method [194]
- Replies to the common charges against atheism [197]
- The chapter on the superiority of Naturalism [198]
- Political side of the indictment against religion [199]
- Holbach’s propagandism [202]
[CHAPTER VII.]
Raynal’s History of the Indies.