Diderot and the Encyclopædists (Vol. 2 of 2)

by John Morley

• Contemporary estimate of The History of the Indies [204]
• Account of Raynal [205]
• Composition of the book [207]
• Its varied popularity [209]
• Frederick the Great dislikes it [210]
• Signal merit of the History [213]
• Its shortcomings [214]
• Its idyllic inventions [215]
• Its animation and variety [218]
• Superficial causes of its popularity [220]
• Its deeper source [221]
• Catholicism in contact with the lower races [222]
• The other side of this [223]
• Raynal’s book a plea for justice and humanity [224]
• Morality towards subject races [226]
• Slavery [227]
• Raynal’s conduct in the Revolution [229]
• His end [231]

[CHAPTER VIII.]
Diderot’s Closing Years.

• Diderot’s meditation on life and death [232]
• Age overtakes him on his return from Russia [233]
• Writes his life of Seneca [235]
• Its quality [236]
• Interest to Diderot of Seneca’s career [237]
• Strange digression in the Essay [239]
• Reason for Diderot’s anger against Rousseau [240]
• His usual magnanimity [241]
• Diderot’s relations with Voltaire [244]
• Naigeon [246]
• Romilly’s account of Diderot [247]
• Palissot and the conservative writers [249]
• The ecclesiastical champions of the old system [251]
• The precursors gradually disappearing [253]
• Galiani [254]
• Beaumarchais’s Mariage de Figaro [255]
• Diderot’s famous couplet [256]
• His fellow-townsmen at Langres [257]
• Last days [258]

[CHAPTER IX.]
Conclusion.

• The variety of Diderot’s topics [261]
• (1) Thoughts on the Interpretation of Nature [262]
  • Maupertuis’s Loi d’Epargne [262]
  • General scope of Diderot’s aphorisms [263]
  • Prophecy about geometry [264]
  • Utility made to prescribe limits to speculation [267]
  • The other side of this principle [267]
  • On Final Causes [268]
  • Adaptation of the Leibnitzian law of economy [269]
• (2) D’Alembert’s Dream [271]
  • Diderot not the originator of French materialism [272]
  • Materialism of the three dialogues [273]
  • Mdlle. Lespinasse’s moral objections [274]
• (3) Plan of a University for Russia [275]
  • Religious instruction [276]
  • Latin and Greek [277]
  • Letter to the Countess of Forbach [278]
• (4) Conversation with the Maréchale de —— [278]
  • Parable of the young Mexican [279]
• (5) Letters to Falconet [281]
  • Diderot defends the feeling for posterity [283]

[Appendix.]

• Rameau’s Nephew: a Translation [285]

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DIDEROT.
CHAPTER I.
OTHER DIALOGUES.