Diderot and the Encyclopædists (Vol. 2 of 2) — John Morley
2 of 2) This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org . If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title : Diderot and the Encyclopædists (Vol. 2 of 2) Author : John Morley Release date : September 28, 2007 [eBook #22797] Language : English Other information and formats : www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22797 Credits : Produced by Paul Murray, LN Yaddanapudi and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net *** START OF 2 OF 2) *** DIDEROT AND THE ENCYCLOPÆDISTS BY JOHN MORLEY VOL. II. London MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1905 First published elsewhere New Edition 1886. Reprinted 1891, 1897, 1905 CONTENTS OF VOL. II. CHAPTER I. Other Dialogues . PAGE (1) The Conversations of a Father with his Children 1 Remarks upon it. (2) The Inconsistency of Public Judgment on Private Actions 8 Observations. (3) Supplement to Bougainville’s Travels 14 Philosophical qualities of the discussion not satisfactory 19 Nothing gained by his criticism on marriage 21 CHAPTER II. Romance . 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 . 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