Seventeen thousand two hundred and sixty-six articles represent the output of Louis de Jaucourt for the Encyclopédie, accounting for roughly a quarter of the total project. Often operating in the shadows of his more celebrated contemporaries, he provided the foundational scientific and political entries that defined the intellectual landscape of eighteenth-century France through sheer volume and persistent research.
Academic Foundation and Early Losses
Born in Paris in 1704 into an aristocratic family of Huguenot descent, Jaucourt sought an identity outside the restrictions placed upon his faith in Catholic France. His education spanned several international institutions, including the University of Geneva, the University of Cambridge, and Leiden University, where he cultivated interests in medicine and the natural sciences. During his early career, he completed a six-volume anatomy text titled Lexicon medicum universale. The manuscript was lost at sea while en route to Amsterdam for publication, effectively erasing twenty years of his scientific development.
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Jaucourt joined the Encyclopédie project during its second volume at the invitation of publisher Michel-Antoine David. Between 1759 and 1765, his output increased to an average of eight articles per day. His contribution of over 17,000 entries earned him the moniker l'esclave de l'Encyclopédie. Unlike other contributors, he provided his services pro bono, financing his own team of secretaries to assist in the transcription and synthesis of source materials. His work spanned diverse topics, including botany, physiology, chemistry, and political history.
Methodology and Clandestine Commentary
His approach involved summarizing and synthesizing existing texts, often citing major thinkers like John Locke to articulate his political views. To navigate French censorship, Jaucourt frequently employed strategies of misattribution, such as crediting his own critiques of tyranny to classical figures like Tacitus. His writing on human rights was explicit, particularly regarding the slave trade, which he condemned as an affront to natural liberty. In scientific matters, he maintained a mechanist perspective, which distinguished his contributions from the vitalist theories favored by other writers.
Scientific Recognition and Death
Beyond his encyclopedic efforts, Jaucourt maintained an active professional life as a physician and scholar. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in London and held memberships in the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences, and the Académie nationale des sciences, belles-lettres et arts de Bordeaux. After a lifetime dedicated to these institutions and the diffusion of knowledge, he died in Compiègne in 1779.
Fast facts
- Born: 1704, Paris
- Died: 1779, Compiègne
- Total articles contributed: 17,266
- Education: University of Geneva, University of Cambridge, Leiden University
- Awards: Fellow of the Royal Society
- Languages: French, Latin, English
- Nickname: l'esclave de l'Encyclopédie
Questions readers ask
Why was Jaucourt's work often derived from existing sources?
Jaucourt aimed to synthesize existing knowledge into a accessible format, often using the texts of others like John Locke to introduce radical political ideas into the public sphere while avoiding direct censorship.
What was the significance of Jaucourt's views on slavery?
He explicitly condemned the slave trade and the commodification of human life in his entries, framing freedom as a fundamental natural right.
Achievements
- Fields: encyclopedia and research and development
