Debat ; De l'Encyclopédie à la Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme : rupture ou continuité ? - article ; n°1 ; vol.8, pg 53-78

Recherches sur Diderot et sur l'Encyclopédie - Année 1990 - Volume 8 - Numéro 1 - Pages 53-78
Debate. From the Encyclopédie to the Rights of Man : Hiatus or Continuity ? Contributions to a debate at the meeting of the Society in Paris on 21st October 1989.
Jacques Chouillet: Introduction.
An investigation of two major reference works on the Revolution — the Dictionnaire critique, directed by F. Furet and M. Ozouf and the Dictionnaire historique, inspired by A. Soboul — reveals that the first practically ignores Diderot and the Encyclopédie and emphasizes Rousseau, and that while the second considers the question of the Revolution and does not ignore the Encyclopédie , Rousseau is again emphasized. The author points to the diffusion of the Encyclopédie before the Revolution and suggests a greater investigation of contemporary estimates of a debt to the Enlightenment.
Lucette Perol : The Texts.
The text of the 1789 Declaration is compared in detail with certain Encyclopédie articles, in particular Rousseau's économie (politique), D'Holbach's représentants, and Diderot's autorité politique and citoyen. On some points, mainly natural law and the Lockean tradition, there is continuity, and some democratic rights are described in these articles. But concerning individual liberty there is no continuity ; a change has been brought about, by Beccaria and by the changed circumstances of 1789.
26 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.