The Spread of Knowledge in 1700s Europe: Diderot's Encyclopedia

 Diderot （狄德羅，法國）的Encyclopédie(百科全書, 1751-1772)

 

繼續Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius' 的The Turning Point of Modern History

https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/turning-points-in-modern-history

 

30分鍾的精彩講解有幾個細節印象深刻。

Diderot's Encyclopédie (1751-1772), a French encyclopedia.

Continuing from Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius' "The Turning Point of Modern History."

The 30-minute lecture left a lasting impression with several key details.

 

300年前明朝永樂皇帝要求編纂永樂大典，其於1403年開始，並於1408年完成。但大眾並未受益，一來印刷術不足以低成本大規模地生產副本，最主要是它是由上而下的一個項目，雖然它的確幫助保存了當時的著作。

 

Diderot和寫作者的目的是將知識傳播給民眾，讓民眾自行思考，而不是讓知識為教會神職人員獨享。Gutenberg（古騰堡，德國）1454就已可商用的印刷技術（他在法國時就開始嚐試）使得此書可快速大量傳播。

300 years ago, during the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Yongle commissioned the compilation of the Yongle Encyclopedia, which began in 1403 and was completed in 1408. However, the general public did not benefit from it. One reason was that the printing technology of the time was insufficient to produce copies on a large scale at a low cost. Moreover, it was a top-down project, even though it did help preserve the writings of that era.

Diderot and the authors of the Encyclopédie aimed to disseminate knowledge to the public, encouraging people to think for themselves, rather than letting knowledge be the exclusive domain of the clergy. Gutenberg's (Germany) commercially viable printing technology, which he had been experimenting with in France, as early as 1454, enabled the rapid and widespread dissemination of this encyclopedia.

[Encyclopédie (1772) 封麵摘錄。由查爾斯-尼古拉·科讚（Charles-Nicolas Cochin）繪製，由博納文圖爾·路易斯·普雷沃斯特（Bonaventure-Louis Prévost）雕刻。這一作品充滿象征意義：中央的人物代表真理，周圍有明亮的光芒（啟蒙運動的核心象征）。右側的另外兩個人物，代表理性和哲學，正在揭示真理的麵紗]

[Excerpt from the cover of the Encyclopédie (1772). Illustrated by Charles-Nicolas Cochin and engraved by Bonaventure-Louis Prévost. This work is filled with symbolism: the central figure represents truth, surrounded by a radiant glow (a core symbol of the Enlightenment). Two additional figures on the right represent reason and philosophy, unveiling the veil of truth.]

1751前後的法國，言論思想自由不像我們現在理解的法國。 Diderot編纂的百科全書在啟到”啟蒙“作用同時，還得小心翼翼滿足政府和羅馬教皇的鉗製。 教皇將它列為禁書，法國政府掙一隻閉一隻眼地執行，因為大量的此書的生產（印刷）極大地支撐了當地的經濟（就業，稅收，等）！

 

另一有趣細節是在政府教皇壓製導致資金緊張時，當時的俄羅斯的統治者Catherine the Great（葉卡捷琳娜大帝）,求知（賢）若渴，傾囊相助。 不過與中國的皇帝一樣，這些知識更多是她（也許和她一起的統治者）用，並未像法國和鄰國一樣在大眾間傳播。

Around 1751, in France, freedom of speech and thought wasn't as we understand it today. Diderot's compilation of the Encyclopedia played an enlightening role while also carefully navigating the constraints of the government and the Pope. The Pope listed it as a banned book, and the French government turned a blind eye to it, as the extensive production (printing) of this book significantly supported the local economy (employment, taxation, etc.).

Another interesting detail is that when government and papal suppression led to financial constraints, the ruler of Russia at the time, Catherine the Great, was eager for knowledge and provided generous assistance. However, like the emperors of China, this knowledge was mostly used by her (perhaps along with her co-rulers) and was not disseminated among the general public as it was in France and neighboring countries.

記錄下這些花絮，找時機再細細研讀這些曆史。Wiki鏈接在此：https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A9die

Making a note of these interesting tidbits and trying to find the right time to delve deeper into this history. The Wikipedia link is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A9die.