Abstract

Skepticism as method in the work of Denis Diderot. The aim of this research is to point out the characteristics of the reception of Skepticism in Diderot’s work, through an analysis of the Skeptic arguments and rhetorical devices that can be identified in Diderot’s writingsέ τur investigation reveals the presence of recurring Skeptic elements both in the early works and in the maturity, including the contributions to the Encyclopédie. Another essential topic is the use of Skepticism as a method that does not consist only in the preliminary application of skeptic’s arguments to the subject discussed by the philosopherέ We also show that Diderot’s Skeptic method entails not only the use of some typical arguments, but also the adoption of peculiar stylistic choices. We claim that this Skeptic streak explains some singularities of Diderot’s philosophy and of his materialismέ A deeper understanding of the central role played by the Skeptic themes in Diderot’s thinking makes a significant contribution to the studies on Skepticism in the Enlightenment, which emerges like a plurality of positions and forms of philosophical heritages. For these reasons we do not only present a comparison between Diderot and his skeptic sources, but also with others Enlightenment philosophers like εontesquieu, Voltaire, D’Alembert and David Hume.