Catherine & Diderot: The Empress, the Philosopher, and the Fate of the Enlightenment

by Robert Zaretsky

A dual biography crafted around the famous encounter between the French philosopher who wrote about power and the Russian empress who wielded it with great aplomb.

In October 1773, after a grueling trek from Paris, the aged and ailing Denis Diderot stumbled from a carriage in wintery St. Petersburg. The century's most subversive thinker, Diderot arrived as the guest of its most ambitious and admired ruler, Empress Catherine of Russia. What followed was unprecedented: more than forty private meetings, stretching over nearly four months, between these two extraordinary figures. Diderot had come from Paris in order to guide--or so he thought--the woman who had become the continent's last great hope for an enlightened ruler. But as it soon became clear, Catherine had a very different understanding not just of her role but of his as well. Philosophers, she claimed, had the luxury of writing on unfeeling paper. Rulers had the task of writing on human skin, sensitive to the slightest touch.

Diderot and Catherine's series of meetings, held in her private chambers at the Hermitage, captured the imagination of their contemporaries. While heads of state like Frederick of Prussia feared the consequences of these conversations, intellectuals like Voltaire hoped they would further the goals of the Enlightenment.

In Catherine & Diderot, Robert Zaretsky traces the lives of these two remarkable figures, inviting us to reflect on the fraught relationship between politics and philosophy, and between a man of thought and a woman of action.

Genres: History, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Biography, Russia, France

272 pages, Hardcover

Published February 18, 2019

About the author

Robert Zaretsky is a literary biographer and historian of France. He is Professor of Humanities at the Honors College, University of Houston, and the author of many books, including A Life Worth Living: Albert Camus and the Quest for Meaning and Boswell’s Enlightenment. Zaretsky is the history editor for the Los Angeles Review of Books, a regular columnist for The Forward, and a frequent contributor to The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Foreign Policy.

Reviews

[Marks54 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written in an unusual format - a focused double intellectual biography. It concerns the visit of the French Philosophe Denis Diderot to St. Petersburg to spend time conversing with and consulting to the Russian empress Catherine the Great (Catherine II). From her ascension to the throne in 1762, she had been interested in being accepted and her reign legitimated by the leading figures of the European (French) Enlightenment. This started with Voltaire but then led to contacts with Diderot (and others). By helping Diderot out with support for his personal activities at some critical times she persuaded him to arrange to visit her at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, where he arrived in 1773 and stayed through Early 1774. From such support and interactions, Catherine perhaps sought legitimacy in her efforts to move Russia to the status of a European power. The philosophes also wanted personal recognition as counselors to a powerful sovereign who could shape a huge country according to their ideas. They wanted to be influential. Sort of a devil’s bargain I suppose.

I have not read much Diderot recently but he was an intriguing person and this account of his visit is well written and engaging - you try riding a carriage from Paris to St. Petersburg without any modern roads and with winter coming on quickly. Intellectual history mixes with a travel memoir to great effect here. Then add Empress Catherine to the mix. She reigned for three decades in Russia furthering the legacy of Peter the Great. Tough, smart, and skillful only begin to describe her. There are fine one volume biographies of Catherine of recent vintage (Robert Massie’s for example) and these should be read for further details. Mr. Zaretsky provides enough about Catherine to tell the story well but her life and reign are much more involved that the story here.

What makes the book so interesting to me is that it focuses on an old problem that remains current today. What is the relationship between “experts” of various types (academics, gurus, consultants) and powerful leaders who run massive undertakings such as empires? There have been court advisors for a long time - this is what Machiavelli and others like Castiglione were writing about five hundred years ago. There continue to be such advisors today, augmented by super lawyers, top consultants, and investment bankers and other “wise men”. There are also entire advisory industries around to provide counsel to the top management of corporations and other large organizations - McKinsey, Accenture, BCG, and Bain are some of the best known but there are lots of others..

For all of these, critical questions concern the value of expert advice provided by knowledgeable individuals without any operational responsibilities (and often without much operational experience either). Then add in agency problems, conflicts of interest, and tax treatments of advisory services - those who can do, those who can’t ...

Where to start in applying this to 18th century Russia? The idea of the philosophes was to bring enlightened rule to a backward Russia through the decisions of an enlightened despot. That sounds so noble to start with, but didn’t we just finish the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolutions of 1917? Didn’t the Bolsheviks want to do the same thing - bring enlightened humanity enriching rule to a backward Russia via the “dictatorship of the proletariat”?

How did that work out?

In retrospect, the idea that Diderot could convince Catherine to do a massive liberal makeover of Russian government and society on the basis of chatting with the Empress for an hour a day or so for a few months sounds a bit presumptuous. How were the changes going to be planned and implemented? How were the various affected groups - military, nobles, landowners - going to be bought in to such massive changes? Spoiler alert — the move to liberal society proved to be chaotic and violent in France after 1789. When the revolution eventually came to Russia, it was almost as chaotic and destructive as the Spanish flu. I suspect that Catherine knew well that Diderot would not be driving massive change and that she was the one who was in charge. Besides, Zaretsky notes that once Diderot had come to St. Petersburg, Catherine had achieved her short term goals. I have to wonder what Diderot was thinking, however. Diderot was unquestionably brilliant but a legitimate question is how his general literary brilliance translates into actual social or governmental changes. The larger context of European politics at the time would constrain what any ruler could do with any level of enlightened guidance.

The book was readable and valuable. I am pairing this with a recent book on Diderot by Andrew Curran and so may revisit this review after reading that. I had some troubles in sorting through the story of the visit as opposed to the analysis of the literary works that Diderot produced during this time. I would have liked more treatment of Catherine’s side of the interactions with Diderot as well.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those mini-history books, covering as it does only a few years. This is also one of those two-minds-meeting books, covering as it does the months Diderot spent in the court of Catherine the Great.

Basically, it's the story of the contrast between the ideal and the practical when it comes to human affairs. Catherine, a regular correspondent with Voltaire, wanted to be an enlightened monarch. Diderot, a major figure of the Enlightenment, had a host of considered ideas about what would constitute a good government. Positively predisposed, Catherine listened to Diderot almost daily for four months but, according to the author, little changed in consequence. He was opposed to despotism, but here was a chance to reform one of them. She was opposed to despotism as well, but who but a despot could institute the necessary reforms in backward Russia?

Most striking to me was how very modern Diderot's writing, albeit translated, seemed.

[Jerry Wall · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last days of Denis Diderot, the French 18th century encyclopedists. He thought he could be a formative influence on Catherine of Russia as she assumed rulership. His efforts were lengthy by
availed little. Catherine was too much the thinker, though she seemed to have supported him with
the thought that she would profit much. Diderot was an ardent admirer of Seneca
and patterned some of his thinking on his model.
the philosophes. . . slowly shaped conversation into a collective effort to discover truth and question authority. p. 15
definition of I love you from male view is more than gloomy. . . . p. 57
Diderot . . . We are all made to live under laws which are made for one reason: To make us happy. p. 88
If you are not grateful to me for what I am telling you, be very grateful for what I am not telling you. p. 95 !!!!!!!
Diderot took great pains to emphasize that the people, even if they are not truly free, must at least "believe themselves to be free." * * * Even when a people are not free, the belief they have in their freedom is nevertheless precious. It would have been preferable for them to have kept this belief, but now they see and feel their enslavement. p. 147
mentions those who can make a tour of the universe in their chairs. p. 160
. . . if we want natural man to be happy, the lapidary advice is "Keep your nose our of his affairs. p. 164
A well-disposed despot ineluctably disposes the nation to the fundamental lawlessness of his rule. p;. 174
fragment on taste (gout) * * * Montesquieu "savages of Louisiana. " When they desire fruit, he observed, "they cut the tree to the root and gather the fruit. this is an emblem of despotism. p. 175
"I would be an ingrate if I spoke ill of Russia, and I would be a liar if I spoke well of it. p. 205-6
lese - societe the people's rights . . . the natural right of "every man to dispose of himself as he wishes." Liberty means, in effect, the "property of your body and the enjoyment of your mind." p. 209
. . . a despot necessarily violates the liberty of his -- or, indeed, her -- subjects through the exercise of untrammeled power. p. 209
He had reached the age, where "one counts the years, followed by the age where on counts the months, leading to the age when one lives a day at a time." * * * "My spirit and heart remain in their infancy, but the rest of my body is slouching toward the cemetery. " p, 215 !!!!!!!!!
Seneca's greatness . . . his brilliantly persuasive guides to Stoicism. p, 218
The first step towards philosophy "the first step towards philosophy is incredulity." p. 222


MINE
The first step toward philosophy may be incredulity But the worst step toward nonsense is unthinking belief.

Nothing is more trouble making than unquestioned beliefs.

Abject followers of a leader who leads by personal fiat (I said so, my gut says so)gut appraisals and reactions, ad hominem attacks on those who question his pronunciamentos have only themselves to blame as the world inevitably falls apart.
The continued lies of a perennial liar in an expression of disdain for others (and perhaps of self). Each lie is a patent expression of contempt i. e. you listeners are shown by these worlds what regard you are held in by the liar.

[Mike Maher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catherine, the new Empress of Russia was anxious to appear as an enlightened ruler and wanted Russia to be considered part of Europe rather than Asia. What better way than to seek out the influencers in Paris. and so it was, that she learned of Denis Diderot, one of the premiere philosophers of his time. Diderot, was scrambling to come up with a dowry for his daughter and sought to sell his beloved library. In stepped Catherine with a very generous offer to buy his library but allowed him to keep it until his death, and also gave him a yearly stipend to become the librarian for it. In return, it was expected that Diderot would go to St. Petersburg to meet with Catherine. After several invitations, Diderot did eventually make the arduous journey. This book is about the meetings that the two had over the course of four months; the extraordinary circumstance of an open and frank dialogue between the idealist, atheist who admired his own eloquence and Catherine, who was a realist trying to bring her country forward. Diderot, the philosophe, did not shirk from any hard subjects and tried to convince her that countries should have a set of laws to be obeyed by everyone including its ruler; that serfs should be freed, that education should be expanded beyond just the 6,000 aristocratic girls to the entire population, that censorship has no place in an enlightened society and other beliefs. French writers of the time of course, were subject to censorship and Diderot himself was imprisoned as a younger man by the French monarchy and then there was the clergy who also were able to punish those who spoke up against them. No wonder then that writers would skewer rulers from other countries as a thinly disguised way to attack their own monarchy. All throughout the book there were veiled hints that the author, Robert Zaretsky, was doing the same, taking jabs at the body of modern western countries including the United States. Then, the last sentence, he delivers the crushing overhand right to the jaw: "Though these two remarkable individuals precede us by nearly three centuries, their public ideals, which are increasingly besieged in the west, and their private decency, increasingly scarce among our leaders, are more important than ever." The referee stands over the body slowly counting to 10 after a blow he did not see coming.

[Anne Earney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ran across a mention of this book while reviewing Diderot's novel, Jacques the Fatalist and, as I've been interested in Catherine the Great in the past, decided to read it. I was surprised to find it for the most part an enjoyable read. It seems like the kind of thing that could be rather dry. I found Catherine more interesting than Diderot, who comes across as somewhat single-minded, limited by his commitment to his ideals (maybe this is good in a philosopher, I don't know). Whereas Catherine comes across as dynamic, independent and changeable, a trait that both attracts and repels Diderot. To read about Diderot is to read about an old man's health problems, domestic life, with an aversion to travel and change. Catherine provides the brightness in the book, but she is not the main focus.

The book gives the impression that Diderot either didn't take good notes about his conversations with Catherine, or there was not a lot of variety in the reports. Either way, the conversations that seem like they should have been the main focus don't carry much weight. I suspect, as the book hints, that Diderot put more effort into pandering to Catherine and his own ego than he did into trying to boldly sway her.

There is a short section in which the author analyze's Diderot's fiction, which I found most interesting. Not sure if that's because that's where the author's real skill lies, or because of my own interests.

There are, occasionally, some very funny lines in here, such as:

"On subjects too sensitive to critique, such as religion and politics, Diderot used an approach we might call a l'Onion." (p46)

"In essence, Diderot came, didn't see, and left." (p197)

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this one a while back and it took me some time to get it started, I expected to have to really be focused and favoured lighter/work reads for a while. The book is actually highly readable for the most part.

The story is fascinating. I knew a little about Diderot already, his accomplishments and his life, but was glad to hear about more perticular traits of character. My knowledge of Catherine the Great, on the other hand, was very limited and I was delighted and in awe when I discovered what a smart, educated, strategist woman she was and how ahead of her time! I don't think any, of the few, women in power today have her presence, culture, and expertise in government. I especially loved reading about her love for the arts and the collection that she gathered.

What threw me off a little was that the book is not written chronologically and, not knowing too much about Russian history in that period, I felt a little lost at time and didn't know exactly how the events mentioned fit together or in what order. I also expected more of the book to focus on the actual period when Diderot stayed at Catherine's court.

Overall a very enjoyable read about to titans of history!

[Riet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Op zich een interessant boek. Het gaat echter meer over Diderot dan over Tsarina Catherina. Diderot is op zichzelf interessant genoeg, maar door de titel zou je toch iets meer over de Russsiche keizerin willen lezen. Diderot vond zelf, dat hij een goede invloed had op Catherina, maar dat viel in de praktijk wel mee. Ze luisterde braaf nar hem, maar ging vervolgens haar eigen autocratische gang. Nog het meest interessant waren de kritieken van de schrijver Zaretsky op de verschillende boeken van Diderot.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slight book about Diderot’s brief stay in Russia. Though Diderot’s weaknesses were obvious, I like that he was relatively fearless in his discussions with Catherine. The rule of law! She listened and remain the Empress.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and educational, I really enjoyed learning about the life and works of Diderot and revisiting Catherine's life. It was a well-blended story filled with intrigue and the correspondence letters added a lot of character to the book.

[Annalaura (a_book_aholic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recensione completa sulla mia pagina Instagram @a_book_aholic:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIlT97ZjKbw/