Philosophes

The Philosophes were the thinkers of the Enlightenment. They included English and French philosophers, writers, political scientists, economists and other intellectuals.
Fast Facts:
1. All Philosophes were not philosophers
2. Common theme: Belief in reason
3. When: 1700s
4. Outgrowth of the scientific discoveries of the 17th century
5. Introduced concept of natural rights into politics
Backstory

The Philosophes were the backbone of the Enlightenment, emphasizing the use of human reason over organized religion. They were also critical of established political processes. Their works laid the foundation for both the French and American revolutions.
Encyclopédie

Most of the French Philosophes contributed to the Encyclopédie, which was edited by Denis Diderot and Jean d'Alembert. The Encyclopédie, which consisted of 71,818 articles in 35 volumes, dealt with all aspects of human knowledge. Diderot described the project by saying, "All things must be examined, debated, investigated without exception and without regard for anyone's feelings."
Quotes
"There are three principal means of acquiring knowledge... observation of nature, reflection, and experimentation. Observation collects facts; reflection combines them; experimentation verifies the result of that combination."—Denis Diderot
"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong."—Voltaire
"To renounce liberty is to renounce being a man, to surrender the rights of humanity and even its duties. For he who renounces everything no indemnity is possible. Such a renunciation is incompatible with man's nature; to remove all liberty from his will is to remove all morality from his acts."—Jean Jacques Rousseau

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Philosophes on Amazon
- 16 Philosophes Contemporains: Vices ou Vertus - $34.98
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- Cri Des Colons Contre Un Ouvrage (French Edition) - $0.99
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- Le philosophe (Selon Rembrandt): III. - $0.89
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- Philosophes, Les - $2.95
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- L' Église et les Philosophes au Dix-Huitième Siècle - $21.99
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Philosophes Questions
- Was David Hume the first philosopher to discuss the theory of Intelligent Design? 1 Answer
  
  Technically, you could trace origins of Intelligent Design all the way back to the ancient Greeks, as Plato discussed the concept (though obviously not yet call... read more
- Philosophically, what is truth? 1 Answer
  
  "There is no main absolute truth in life. The truth is really what each person sincerely feels that it is to themselves." read more
- Is there a difference between a philosopher and a philosophist? Is "philosophist" a word? Is a philosopher the same as philosophizer? 3 Answers
  
  A philosopher is someone who studies the nature of reality, mind, perception, self, free will, causation, time and space, and moral judgements. A Philosophize... read more
- Philosophizing: Whats the difference between a scenster and a hipster? 1 Answer
  
  A scenester is basically a person who goes somewhere on act. They overly accentuate and are basically wannabees who head anywhere that they feel will be conside... read more
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Philosophes Background and Profiles
- ThinkQuest: The Enlightenment, A Summary of What Happened
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- #laferme, le #tag qu'il va falloir reconvertir avec des vrais citations de philosophes.
- @ideahunter84 yep et pourtant je ne suis pas sa plus gde fan.La presse abuse franchement avec cette hs de JB Botul genre ils st philosophes!
- BHL http://tinyurl.com/Histoire-d-une-imposture et les philosophes du XXIéme vu par nos descendants en l'an 4010
- Un commentaire sur le blog de @assouline, BHL c est la Toyota Prius des Philosophes ... Woof !
- Death Note, manga qui excite les philosophes : http://tinyurl.com/yfv7ux5
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