Denis Diderot (October 5, 1713 - July 31, 1784) was a French writer and philosopher.
Born in Langres, Champagne, France in 1713, he was a prominent figure in what became known as the Enlightenment, and was the editor-in-chief of the famous Encyclopédie.
Diderot also contributed to literature, notably with his work Jacques the Fatalist , which challenged conventions regarding novels and their structure and content, while also examining philosophical ideas relating to free will.
He is also known as the author of the essay Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown, upon which many an article and sermon about consumer desire have been based.
He died of emphysema and dropsy in Paris on July 31, 1784, and was buried in the city's Eglise Saint-Roch .
See also