Posterity, calumny, Rousseau and Diderot

Regularly during the radical Enlightenment of mid-eighteenth-century France was to be heard the uproar of bitter recriminations as Rousseau fell out with friends and allies.  One of his closest had been Denis Diderot who, in fact, Rousseau blamed for having led him to becoming a philosopher in the first place. In a fascinating article (approx. 5,500 words), Elena Russo explores the fall out of the end of their friendship, focussing in particular upon Diderot and his concerns for public recognition and his legacy.

Slander and Glory in the Republic of Letters: Diderot and Seneca Confront Rousseau’

 

‘Casanova in Paris: The Shadows of the King’ is freely available here.

Long form articles on Casanova’s life and times are freely available here.

#paris #eighteenthcentury #history #diderot #rousseau #slander