Writing requires, above all else, patience and perseverance. Facing a blank page or screen is in many cases a fight against physical and mental fatigue, and many give up early. So when it comes to writing “a lot” in large amounts and over long periods of time, the list gets narrower. There are notable examples such as Dickens, one of the most prolific writers of the 19th century, or Asimov, who wrote more than 500 books and thousands of letters. But none of them are like the story of the man who wrote most of the encyclopedias alone.

Louis de Jaucourt. Born in Paris in 1704 into a noble Protestant family, Jaucourt showed a deep inclination for knowledge from a young age, leading him to study theology in Geneva, physics and mathematics at Cambridge, and medicine at Leyden. In addition to his command of five modern languages, he also had advanced knowledge of Latin, Greek and many disciplines, from literature to positive sciences; this was a reflection of the encyclopedic spirit of the Enlightenment in which he lived.

However, if he is to be remembered for anything in history, it is his contribution to knowledge with a monumental work that began to take shape among the French elite: the Encyclopédie.

First came the Enlightenment. We are talking about one of the most ambitious intellectual projects of the 18th century; From a project created at a very specific moment of cultural and philosophical enthusiasm in Europe, a period known as the Enlightenment. The aim at the time was to liberate knowledge from the restrictions imposed by religion and absolutist monarchy, encouraging the use of reason as a way to understand the world and improve society.

Especially in France, this intellectual impulse was evident in the 15th century. Louis gained great power in the face of the authoritarianism of his monarchy and the influence of the clergy, who saw enlightened ideas as a threat to their power. In this context, intellectuals such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu challenged traditional beliefs and encouraged critical thinking that would lead to the foundations of the Encyclopédie.

Creation and development. The megaproject, also known as Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des Arts et des métiers, began in 1751 under the direction of Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert, always with the goal of compiling all human knowledge into an accessible work. Inspired by Ephraim Chambers’s Encyclopedia, the Encyclopédie was initially planned as a simple translation but quickly evolved into an original and much more ambitious project.

Over its 35 volumes, the work compiled more than 70,000 articles and 3,000 illustrations, covering everything from natural sciences and art to philosophy and craft techniques (an innovation for the time). Diderot and d’Alembert’s work was supported by 146 collaborators, including leading Enlightenment thinkers who worked on compiling and reviewing articles in a variety of disciplines. And above all, one man: Jaucourt.

One quarter. Louis de Jaucourt, an ardent collaborator of the Encyclopédie, contributed no less than 17,200 articles; this was about a quarter of the Encyclopedia’s total, and he did so, importantly, writing up to eight articles a day without receiving any financial compensation. Armed with extensive training and resources, the man devoted much of his life to the project, even selling off his properties to finance it.

He also wrote everything covering topics such as democracy, freedom, equality, science. Jaucourt’s dedication was so great that, given his devotion to the work in which he invested decades and most of his assets, Diderot affectionately called him “the slave of the Encyclopédie.” In short, one man who helped expand the scope of the business and ensure its success.

Extra ball. A fact that would put man’s monumental work into context. Before the encyclopedia, he devoted 20 years of his life to writing a treatise on medicine, a massive work in six volumes (and in Latin). After working for twenty years, he went to Amsterdam to escape French printing censorship.

Bad luck meant that the ship sank along with the entire work, the only copy he had. A tragic event that left him wanting more.

Heritage. The Encyclopédie was a revolutionary work that disseminated knowledge and promoted equitable and accessible education. His most notable contribution was the inclusive approach to knowledge that encompassed both academic subjects and practical knowledge and reflected the spirit of the Enlightenment by erasing barriers between elitist knowledge and applied or “useful” knowledge.

This approach inspired future encyclopedic studies and left a deep mark on modern philosophy and education. The Encyclopédie also encouraged the questioning of absolute power and intellectual liberation and is considered one of the pillars of Enlightenment thought, influencing later movements such as the French Revolution.

In short, a huge political and social manifesto that challenged the power and religious structures of that period and had the ability to bring together a quarter of humanity’s knowledge in a single man. Moreover, the fact that he did this by living modestly and selling some of his assets makes the situation even more extraordinary.

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