Which French philosopher was the chief editor of the Encyclopédie?

The French philosopher who served as chief editor of the Encyclopédie was Denis Diderot. He guided the ambitious reference work from its early planning in the 1740s through the publication of its final volumes in 1772.

The Encyclopédie began as a proposed French translation of an English encyclopedia, but Diderot transformed it into a much larger project devoted to organizing human knowledge. Jean le Rond d’Alembert worked with him as co-editor during the early years, while more than 140 contributors supplied articles on philosophy, science, history, crafts, and the arts.

Diderot personally wrote thousands of articles, including many about mechanical trades and natural history. The project’s emphasis on reason, science, religious criticism, and practical knowledge made it a major expression of the French Enlightenment.

A common mix-up is naming d’Alembert instead. He was an important co-editor and mathematician, but Diderot remained the central editor and continued the project after d’Alembert’s departure. The Encyclopédie ultimately comprised 17 volumes of text and 11 volumes of illustrations in its first edition.