Diderot

Diderot was born in Langres, a cathedral town in east-central France, and spent most of his adult life in Paris. During his lifetime, France was ruled by the Bourbon monarchy: Louis XIV died in 1715, Louis XV reigned until 1774, and Louis XVI succeeded him. Political power remained concentrated in the monarchy, while society was divided into legally distinct orders with unequal privileges and tax obligations. At the same time, the growth of publishing, salons, and learned societies created new spaces for debate. Authors could influence public discussion, but censorship and religious and royal authorities continued to restrict what could be published.

France was involved in major European and overseas conflicts during Diderot’s life, including the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748) and the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763). The 1763 Treaty of Paris brought major French losses in North America and India. From 1778, France supported the American colonies in their war for independence, adding to the monarchy’s financial pressures. At home, Diderot’s Encyclopédie became a focus of disputes over censorship: its publication was suspended and its privilege revoked, although the editors continued their work under restrictions. Jesuit institutions also came under increasing pressure; the order was suppressed in France in 1764.

Diderot died in 1784, five years before the French Revolution began. The political and financial tensions of his lifetime formed part of the background to the Revolution, but its outbreak followed developments that took place after his death.