French encyclopedia created in the 18th century by the Enlightenment .
Under the full title Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers ("Encyclopedia, or Classified Dictionary of Sciences, Arts, and Trades"), it was inspired by the success of E. Chambers's British Cyclopaedia; or An Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1728). Under the direction of Denis Diderot and initially aided by Jean Le Rond d'Alembert , 17 volumes were published between 1751 and 1765; other volumes were added later for a total of 35. Though opposed by conservative ecclesiastics and government officials and subjected to censorship, the Encyclopédie attracted articles from many important thinkers of the time, including Jean-Jacques {{link=Rousseau, Jean-Jacques">Rousseau , Voltaire , and Denis Diderot, who were called "Encyclopedists." In its skepticism, its emphasis on scientific determinism, and its criticism of the abuses perpetrated by contemporary legal, judicial, and clerical institutions, the work had widespread influence as an expression of progressive thought prior to the French Revolution .