Louis michel van loo denis diderot biography
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Denis Diderot (1713-1784)
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Philosophical Haiku
by Terence Green
To think without chains
To be free of God and kings
I know my own good
Denis Diderot by Louis-michel Van Loo 1767
Denis Diderot was of humble stock – his father was a cutler (knife-maker) – and in his mannerisms and dress he always retained a semblance of this.
For instance, he was known to turn up in polite society without wearing a wig!
As a young man, Diderot tried his hand at various things – the law, the church – but decided to be a writer. His father then disowned him, allowing him to experience the true writer’s life – that is, a life of poverty.
This set the pattern for much of his life: he was forever a struggl