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The philosophes (French for 'philosophers') were the intellectuals of the 18th-century European Enlightenment.[1] Few were primarily philosophers; rather, philosophes were public intellectuals who applied reason to the study of many areas of learning, including philosophy, history, science, politics, economics and social issues. They had a critical eye and looked for weaknesses and failures that needed improvement. They promoted a "republic of letters" that crossed national boundaries and allowed intellectuals to freely exchange books and ideas. Most philosophes were men, but some were women.
They strongly endorsed progress and tolerance, as they distrusted organized religion (most were deists) and feudal institutions.[2] Many contributed to Diderot's Encyclopédie. They faded away after the French Revolution reached a violent stage in 1793.
- ^ Kishlansky, Mark, et al. A Brief History of Western Civilization: The Unfinished Legacy, volume II: Since 1555. (5th ed. 2007).
- ^ Richard Hooker, "The Philosophes," (1996) online Archived 2018-07-05 at the Wayback Machine
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