The Empress and the Philosophe

Abstract

THE HISTORIAN-AND-BIOGRAPHER is in a comparatively favorable situation with regard to literary sources and original materials describing the circumstances of Diderot’s acquaintance with Catherine, his trip to St. Petersburg and stay there, and, generally, his relationship with the Russian Empress—a relationship between a philosopher and an empress who liked to talk philosophy. The scholar has at his disposal Diderot’s own letters from St. Petersburg, Catherine’s letters, and letters from persons who were in contact with both of them (Voltaire, Grimm, Dashkova), reminiscences by witnesses to their relationship and, finally, monographs about the events concerned.

L’oeil du philosophe et l’oeil du souverain voient bien diversement.

Diderot