Speech Exchange in Short Philosophical Stories by Diderot
Abstract
Diderot's philosophical stories, as most his novels, work as potential theatre, since dialogue is their main narrative structure. In his prose works, Diderot produces a fusion of speech mechanisms and philosophical arguments: there is more than one way for a humanist to formulate the interpretations of what he perceives as critical. The singularity of his narrative (reflective and story-telling) makes of Diderot one of the most accomplished dialogue writers in the 18th century. These two creative energies are the real tissue of Diderot's short stories, written from 1768 to 1774. The stories are defined by their philosophical component, communicating persistently the ethical dilemmas: when it comes to confronting legal arbitrarity or public opinion, the word is always given to the individual.
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References
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