Diderot’s Politics

A Study of the Evolution of Diderot’s Political Thought After the Encyclopédie

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One Philosophical and Moral Foundations.- I: Materialism and the Morale Universelle.- I. Morale Universelle and Morale Particulière.- II. Morale Universelle and the Sage.- III. Passivity and Dynamism.- II: Society and the Individual.- I. Natural Morality and Civilisation.- II. The Uniqueness of the Individual.- III: From Individual to Citizen.- I. Materialism and the Theory of Consciousness.- II. Individuation and Socialisation.- III. Seneca and the Ideal Citizen.- Two The Evolution of Diderot’s Political Thought.- I: A Coherent Absolutism.- I. Absolutism and Enlightenment.- II. Mercier de la Rivière and Evidence.- III. Dom Deschamps and the Etat de Moeurs.- II: First Doubts.- I. Galiani and Economic Empiricism.- II. Frederick II and the Betrayal of the Philosopher-King.- III. Maupeou and the Dismissal of the Parlements.- IV. The Failure of Absolutism.- III: Fading Hopes.- I. Holland: the Myth.- II. Diderot and Catherine II: an Attempt at Conversion.- IV: The End of an Illusion.- I. Popular Sovereignty versus Enlightened Despotism.- II. Holland: the Reality.- III. Louis XVI: New Hope at Home.- V: Towards Revolution.- I. Diderot between Turgot and Necker.- II. The American Revolution and Diderot’s Doctrine of Revolution.- III. Society after the Revolution.- Conclusion.