Praise for Richardson

In this work, Diderot praises the English author Samuel Richardson and his influential novels. Diderot's praise for Richardson was shared by other intellectuals of his time, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who regarded Richardson's novels as significant contributions to the development of the modern novel. Diderot is a critical figure of the Enlightenment who receives little attention from modern philosophers. Diderot lived in the shadow of Rousseau and Voltaire, with whom he knew personally and collaborated. Diderot extolled Richardson for elevating the novel to a vehicle of philosophical and ethical inquiry, capable of refining the reader’s sentiments through deep psychological realism and moral introspection. Unlike the purely entertaining or didactic works of his time, Richardson’s epistolary novels—particularly Clarissa—were, according to Diderot, deeply affecting narratives that engaged the heart and mind alike, encouraging virtuous behavior and fostering empathy through their vivid emotional detail. Diderot admires Richardson's ability to capture the complexity of human emotions and moral dilemmas in his works, particularly in novels such as Pamela, Clarissa, and Sir Charles Grandison. Diderot's praise for Richardson's novels reflects his appreciation for the psychological depth and realism found in Richardson's characters and narratives. The influence of Richardson's novels on Diderot's own writing and his advocacy for the novel as a form of literary expression is evident. This modern edition contains a new Epilogue by the translator, a glossary of Philosophical Terms used by Diderot, a chronology of his core life and works, and a summary index of all of Diderot's works. With a clean, modern translation of Diderot's Enlightenment-era French, this edition brings Diderot's thoughts directly into the modern intellectual sphere, tracing the intellectual forces which swept along Diderot and impacted today's secular world.