d'Alembert's Dream
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d'Alembert's Dream (or The Dream of d'Alembert, French: Le Rêve de d'Alembert) is an ensemble of three philosophical dialogues authored by Denis Diderot in 1769,[1] which first anonymously appeared in the Correspondance littéraire, philosophique et critique between August and November 1782, but was not published in its own right until 1830:[2]
- The Continuation of a Conversation between d'Alembert and Diderot (La Suite d'un entretien entre M. Diderot et M. d'Alembert)
- d'Alembert's Dream (Le Rêve de d'Alembert)
- Continuation of the Preceding Conversation (Suite de l'entretien précédent )
Author | Denis Diderot |
---|---|
Original title | Le Rêve de d'Alembert |
Country | France |
Language | French |
Publication date | 1830 |
Diderot didn't give a name to the ensemble of the three dialogues, but they are traditionally referred to by the name of the second and longest dialogue, d'Alembert's Dream.[3]
d'Alembert's Dream was one Diderot's favorite works, and has been thought of as one of his most important philosophical texts.[4] In the dialogues, Diderot is at the zenith of his development of materialist theories. It is here that he introduces his theory on life and nature, indicating that matter is not fixed but, on the contrary, subject to evolution. Each species in existence transforms itself and gives birth to a new species.
He would later create a special version for his patroness, Catherine II of Russia,[5] replacing certain character's names.