ABSTRACT
It became the ambition of Diderot (1713-1789) to bring together every brand of human knowledge into one book that would collect and challenge the thinking of the time. The encyclopedists wanted to be supremely comprehensive: to leave nothing of importance out, and to bring together all knowledge. In some ways, despite the fact that Encyclopedia Britannica has gone bankrupt and can now be entirely put on a portable stick, a store of up-to-date knowledge remains a great resource and the symbol of a discipline.
