Diderot and Access to Information

Instructions:1. Some slides have instructions in the title

section – read them carefully2. Do any work that is supposed to be

turned in, in WORD• There are two sets of questions you have to turn in

Intro lecture notes• Enlightenment was a time of challenging the norm (things that were

expected)– Philosophers and scientists challenged the authority of the church and

government• Government and authority

– Man has the ability to think for himself– Man has the ability to decide how/when he should be ruled and WHO he

should be ruled by– Man has the right to access all information and be educated (up until now,

government controlled who knew what and who got educated)• Church and Church authority

– Man has the ability to decide and think through his own religious views– Man can and is able to think through philosophies and beliefs of the church– Man has a right to be educated and have access to information (like the

government, the Church often controlled who was educated and what information was not “heretical” (against proper belief).

Intro lecture notes cont…

• Information was carefully guarded, not only by the Church and the government, but by different professions.– For example: a shoe maker would only teach his skill to his

apprentices – the average person didn’t know how to make shoes. (Answer orally to yourself: Why would this be important to the shoemaker?)

• Information was seen as something lofty and almost holy – as if only those “chosen” by God or government could understand it. If you weren’t “chosen” you were probably too stupid to understand it

Read and answer the questions IN WORD (send by email)

Intro reading questions for previous slide

Read the following Slides

Dramatic Moment cont…

Dramatic Moment cont…

• Look at the following illustrations and answer to yourself: – 1. What can you learn from the picture?

Answer the following questions in WORD and send to me via email

• How does a rational approach to knowledge change the way information is received by an audience? (remember my last point in the intro lecture)

• How could having access to this kind of information change society?

• How are encyclopedias viewed today? (Remember, Wikipedia is an encyclopedia)

• Why did the Church and Government see Diderot’s encyclopedia as dangerous?