“Certain Fragments of Knowledge:” The Curious History of the World's First Encyclopedia

Wikipedia. Britannica. The World Book. All these familiar resources share a common ancestor in the Encyclopédie of d'Alembert and Diderot, the first of its kind, published from 1751 onwards and still celebrated among the supreme achievements of French letters.

Now regarded as a foundational text of the Enlightenment period, the tremendous ambition of this first modern encyclopedia was tempered by acute controversy. Although it was compiled at the height of the "siècle des Lumières" in France, its publication was shaped by intense interpersonal rivalries and fierce struggles over censorship and political ideology. Join Myron Groover, McMaster's Archives and Rare Books Librarian, in exploring the fascinating story behind one of the world's most famous and influential books.

McMaster is fortunate to possess a complete first edition of the Encyclopédie. The lecture will be supplemented by highlights from the text itself.