Kafker, Frank A. “The Recruitment of
the Encyclopedists.” Eighteenth-Century Studies, vol. 6, no. 4, Johns Hopkins University Press, American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ASECS), 1973, pp. 452–61. JSTOR, JSTOR, doi:10.2307/3031579.
Here, Kafker describes in detail the process and history of recruiting authors and artists for the
Encyclopédie, which Diderot expressed regret at not coordinating sooner as many articles, in Diderot’s opinion, are poorly written. Beginning with the original publishers (Le Breton, Briasson, David, and Durand) and editor (Abbé Gua de Malves), then moving on to new editors Diderot and d’Alembert (who had access to academic scholars), and then just Diderot, Kafker discusses who became contributors and how they were recruited, which was not necessarily directly through the editors. He states that even though the process was messy and often yielded articles of varying quality, the Encyclopédie
nevertheless remains a great achievement, containing articles from an array of experts and scholars (who had great liberty in the content of their articles) and a unique look into Enlightenment thought.
Basic Information
Country of Publication: United States
Language: English
Decade: 1970s
Main Classification: Recruitment
Related Sources
*In Progress*
Notes
None
Updates
7/13/2020: Created page.