First Enlightenment Resource

The Encyclopedists as a Group: A Collective Biography of the Authors of the ''Encyclopedie'' [[This source addresses the Enlightenment indirectly through exploring the lives of the writers of the "Encyclopedie." It would be a valuable resource for a researcher of the Enlightenment because it addresses the relationship between the Enlightenment's key players (Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Diderot) and the events of the time (which were themselves influenced by the Enlightenment ideals.) It goes into great detail in describing the French Revolution, with chapter names like "The Encyclopedists and the Reign of Terror" (141), and "The Encyclopedists and the coming of the French Revolution" (123). Finally, this source analyzes the French Revolution, and even counters other people's ideas and opinions. For example, it reads, "The French Revolution, said an anonymous contemporary, came 'without the people being led on by any leader, or by any party, but merely by the general diffusion of reason and philosophy,' This is not true. Although the coming of the Revolution was certainly no conspiracy, the way was partially prepared" (140). This quote is just one example of how this source's critical analysis of its subjects and their contexts and backgrounds would benefit a modern-day researcher.]]