One of the key figures of the French Enlightenment, Denis Diderot was a passiona
te critic of conventional morality, society and religion. Among his greatest and
most well-known works, these two dialogues are dazzling examples of his radical
scientific and philosophical beliefs. In Rameau's Nephew, the eccentric and foo
lish nephew of the great composer Jean-Philippe Rameau meets Diderot by chance,
and the two embark on a hilarious consideration of society, music, literature, p
olitics, morality and philosophy.
Its companion-piece, D'Alembert's Dream, ou
tlines a material, atheistic view of the universe, expressed through the fevered
dreams of Diderot's friend D'Alembert. Unpublished during his lifetime, both of
these powerfully controversial works show Diderot to be one of the most advance
d thinkers of his age, and serve as fascinating testament to the philosopher's w
ayward genius.
