French philosopher, and man of letters, the chief editor of the L'Encyclopédie, one of the principal literary monuments of the Age of Enlightenment. The work took 26 years of Diderot's life. In seventeen volumes of text and eleven of illustrations, it presented the achievements of human learning in a single work. Besides offering a summary of information on all theoretical knowledge, it also challenged the authority of the Catholic Church.
"The good of the people must be the great purpose of government. By the laws of nature and of reason, the governors are invested with power to that end. And the greatest good of the people is liberty. It is to the state what health is to the individual." (from L'Encyclopédie)
Denis Diderot was born at Langres, the son of a successful cutler. He was first educated by the Jesuits (1728-32). During this period he devoured books of all kinds – his favorites were such classics as Horace and Homer. In 1732 Diderot received the master of arts degree from the University of Paris. His father expected him to study medicine or law, but Diderot spent his time with books and women. When his financial support was ended, Diderot then worked for the attorney Clément de Ris (1732-34), and as a tutor, freelance writer, and bookseller's hack (1733-44). After ten bohemian years, he married in 1743 Anne Toinette Champion. To support his own family, he began to translate texts from English to France. After some years his marriage turned sour. When his wife said she would not touch a book which did not offer something spiritually uplifting, Diderot's remedy was to read her only raunchy works. "What amuses me is," Diderot confessed in a letter, "that she treats everyone who visits her to a repeat of what I have just read her, so conversation doubles the effect of the remedy. Diderot found also a new love, Madeleine de Puisieux. She was a writer, whose best work, Les caractères (1750-51), appeared during their affair. With Sophie Volland Diderot had a liaison from about 1755 until her death in 1784. Diderot's letters to her belong to the important sources of his personal life and reveal ways of thinking in that era.
"It has been said that love robs those who have it of their wit, and gives it to those who have none." (Paradoxe sur le comédien)

-دو ان اهم الاحداث التي اثرت فيه هو موت اخته الراهبة بسبب سوء معاملة الراهبات لها.
تخلى عنه والده بسبب رفضه دراسة الطب او القانون,
- عاش حياة الصعاليك لمدرة عشر سنوات بسبب تخلي والده عنه.
- يبدو ان موت والدته كان له اثر كبير ايضا على شخصه.

مأزوم ويتيم اجتماعي بسبب تخلي والده عنه.

يتيم اجتماعي.