Enlightened insanity in the Age of Reason: A study of marginality in selected works of Denis Diderot

This dissertation probes the background of our modern concept of marginality laying bare an evolution of thought stemming from the French Enlightenment quest for truth. Diderot's materialist philosophy and search for the origins of genius prompted his interest in marginality.;Diderot's treatment of marginality can be separated into three main categories; The forcibly marginalized La marginalite subie: The character of Suzanne Simonin of La Religieuse, is an example of forcible marginalization from a given milieu. Self-imposed marginalization La marginalite choisie: Rameau's nephew, an example of self-imposed marginality, alienates himself from others as well as others from himself. Le Neveu de Rameau clearly illustrates Diderot's special interest in the marginality of unusual or bizarre types. The final category includes those who have been marginalized due to biological defects or more precisely, those who have been deemed separate by biological pre-determinism La marginalite biologique : The Mother Superior of Arpajon, whose lesbian nature and unbalanced physical appearance separate her from the norm, offers an example of biologically or physically imposed marginalization and its psycho-social consequences.;Diderot demonstrates the links between the marginalized genius and the pursuit of truth. In the Interpretation de la nature, Diderot combines art and science in the quest for truth. In Le Reve de D'Alembert Bizarre and decousu are key terms used in the elaboration of Diderot's search for ultimate verity. The definition of genius is a central problematic for Diderot. The genius is always marginal. As seen through Diderot's work, a genius is someone capable of seeing through the hidden unity of a given process and then communicating that unity in a creative and cogent manner. "Enlightened insanity" is a state of being for the marginalized genius. The genius in pursuit of truth is always unraveling, or in a state of unravelment. It is none other than the genius who comes closest to truth while in the process of unravelment.