From Freedom to the Mysteries of State
Diderot's Political Discussion With Catherine the Great
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7295548 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eszter Kovács (0000-0001-8509-6432, Research Institute for Politics and Government, Ludovika University of Public Service, 1083 Budapest, Ludovika tér 1, Hungary, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 513-528 |
| Publication date | 2024-08-31 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | History of Political Thought (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0143-781X |
| Publisher | Routledge (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.53765/20512988.45.3.513 |
| OpenAlex | W4402286060 |
| Language | EN |
The article examines Diderot's relationship with Catherine II in respect of two specific questions: first, their different interpretation of Montesquieu's concept of liberty; second, the possible influence of their encounter on Diderot's reflection on the arcana imperii . Ironical notes found in Observations sur le Nakaz (1774) and ironical commentaries in Principes de politiques des souverains (1774) show that theorizing political action by a founding text can be considered as a modern mystery of state. The article argues that the Russian experience must be interpreted as a functional and not as a chronological divide in Diderot's political thought
Art · Literature · Political science · Politics · Sociology · State (computer science · Computer Science · Historical and Literary Analyses · Historical and Literary Studies · Law · Philosophy · Rousseau and Enlightenment Thought
| Highly cited | No |
|---|