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.
