Diderot, Spinoza, and the Question of Virtue

Louise Crowther

MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities (2007), pp. 11-18, doi:10.59860/wph.a47bd1d

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A contribution to: Working Papers in the Humanities 2

Edited by Louise Crowther, Astrid Ensslin and Jennifer Shepherd

MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities 2

Modern Humanities Research Association

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Abstract.  This paper focuses on the French philosopher and writer Denis Diderot (1713-84) and the extent to which, in his portrayal of virtue, he can be said to demonstrate convergences of ideas with Spinoza. The texts that form the primary basis for a consideration of Diderot’s post-Spinozist mentality are Le Fils naturel, Le Neveu de Rameau and Mme de la Carlière. As a preliminary to this study, I firstly examine Spinoza’s thinking regarding virtue and the necessity of moderation in its exercise, before turning my attention to Diderot’s texts. I argue that Diderot’s works reveal significant similarities to Spinoza’s thinking, which thus highlights Diderot’s radicalism and the wide-reaching impact of Spinoza on the Enlightenment. The over-arching purpose of my thesis is to consider how Lessing and Diderot dealt with the impact of Spinozist thought and to analyze the extent to which they can be said to exemplify a post-Spinozist mentality in their portrayal of three main issues: virtue and vice; freedom; and natural religion. The aim of my thesis is not to demonstrate the direct influence of Spinoza on Lessing since it is notoriously difficult to trace influences in intellectual history. It seeks rather to locate similarities or differences of approach in their treatment of these issues. The originality of my thesis lies in its analysis of Lessing’s and Diderot’s literary works as the evidence for demonstrating their post-Spinozist mentality, especially as these works have been somewhat neglected in studies of the relationship between these thinkers.

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