The controversial origins of the Encyclopedia - Addison Anderson

View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/the-contro...
The first encyclopedia contained 70,000 entries and over 20,000,000 words. It was broken into 35 volumes written over the course of 3 decades. It was also banned by Louis XV and Pope Clement XIII. But why was this encyclopedia so controversial, and who wrote it in the first place? Addison Anderson recounts the controversial origins of the first encyclopedia.
Lesson by Addison Anderson, animation by Patrick Smith.

[@nateslovebug]

"So, he got to work, with something way worse and much bigger" I already like this guy!

[@sosobo2991]

Me too

[@robloxlegoman6448]

You forgot some words, its, so he got to work with something a little like that, you forgot thoose

[@FORSIGHTPARADIGM]

Please consider my channel. I talk to Diderot experts: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnjVlYSMZrxgbrs

[@mosesmessiah9098]

Right when he said that I had a little grin

[@seal6565]

This is amazing, so many great men sacrficing their lives for the advancement of mankind.

[@2nd3rd1st]

+Titty Bugatti And women.

[@waleedalam7927]

+2nd3rd1st *woman

[@shweet7891]

too bad religion and science is always killing the free thinkers

[@sooooooooDark]

+Nome di Fantasia no its society as a whole that kills free thinkers and since pretty much all ppl are either religious or secular nowadays he was kinda right

[@KevinUchihaOG]

+sooooooooDark 1) you can be religious and still secular. and there are no other things you can be. Either you are secular or you are not. Either you are religious or you are not. 2) secular doesn't mean science. A secular person can still deny all science in existence. Secularism have nothing to do with science. 3) just because a person that believes in science do bad things doesn't mean it's the science fault.

[@spencer3048]

"Aguaxima, a plant growing in Brazil and on the islands of South America. This is all that we are told about it; and I would like to know for whom such descriptions are made. It cannot be for the natives of the countries concerned, who are likely to know more about the aguaxima than is contained in this description, and who do not need to learn that the aguaxima grows in their country. It is not meant for us either, for what do we care that there is a tree in Brazil named Aguaxima, if all we know about it is its name? What is the point of giving the name? It leaves the ignorant just as they were and teaches the rest of us nothing. If all the same I mention this plant here, along with several others that are described just as poorly, then it is out of consideration for certain readers who prefer to find nothing in a dictionary article or even to find something stupid than to find no article at all."

[@DevoteeOfAergia]

Thanks a lot for this mate

[@clarkepercivaljaeblood4886]

Yeah. You really took your time. Your dedication has inspired me 😂😂😂😂😂

[@FORSIGHTPARADIGM]

Please consider my channel. I talk to Diderot experts: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnjVlYSMZrxgbrs

[@PRGME7]

@@FORSIGHTPARADIGM no

[@DictionaryZone]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oX6UgZdrZqaGgNk

[@laurensun7099]

0:34 the laugh though

[@clarkepercivaljaeblood4886]

I love that Addison Anderson has his own lesson and narrated it himself ❤

[@draevonmay7704]

Did anybody else pause it at the end and read the Aguaxima entry in a French accent?

[@sanushka7000]

Oui!

[@edwardrobinson2853]

+Draevon May Bien Sûr

[@tatianajimenez1456]

Draevon May yep, the French had a really good sense of humor back then

[@IImagnumalucardII]

One of the firsts shitposts ever made

[@zotoda]

the short joys of life!!!!

[@JeshuranPaul]

Louis once spent 20 years writing a book on anatomy, shipped it to Amsterdam to be published uncensored, and the ship sank. Damn!

[@ronnietea3205]

Ya, that's a cold shot!!!

[@inkonmyhands]

how weren't there any copies, at least a portion? I doubt he sent all the work he had of it?

[@faizanquraishi4126]

@@inkonmyhands If i were to guess, they didn't have printing back then so it must have been difficult to make a copy of such an immense work especially considering that anatomy is very diagram intensive

[@PunitaBhardwaj]

who knew that writing was so risky

[@Axrotex]

Who knew Ted Ed could be so casual about pornography.

[@RisikoAO]

+Punita Bhardwaj Are you kidding? In France dissident writers and comedians are still banned from official media and ostracized, check out what is happening to Alain Soral and Dieudonné. The world is fuc_ked up, democracy is never been so in peril.

[@Reyeston007]

Is 2016 get over it

[@PunitaBhardwaj]

+RisikoFromTheVault jeez I was stating that writers should be appreciated more

[@TriRemo]

+RisikoFromTheVault +RisikoFromTheVault These people expressed racist and antisemitic opinions, and were condemned for that. There is no censorship there, just the application of the basic principle of freedom : one's freedom stops where the other's start. You can have your opinions but you can't call for violence toward a group of people.

[@johnacetable7201]

His encyclopedia is written much better than a lot of my textbooks.

[@birawaich]

It's just so interesting to think about that this was the "first wikipedia"! The encyclopedia was a key part to the enlightenment, which just shows us how valuable public knowledge is :)

[@randomname285]

lol at how people are now considering encyclopaedias as first wikipedias rather than wikipedia as online encyclopedia, how things change

[@kamu747]

​@@randomname285 My thoughts as well.

[@audreydwyer9743]

omg Addison Anderson actually wrote a lesson instead of just narrating?! good for you, my dude. you did a great job!

[@Drvelasco45]

HAHAHAHA. The aguaxima article is too funny. Also of note, Diderot translated the first ever medical dictionary from a famous (in his time) english doctor. One of the entries of the dictionary listed a unicorns horn as a recipe for a medicine.

[@e_paige]

I have a newfound respect for the encyclopedia.

[@FORSIGHTPARADIGM]

Consider checking out my channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnjVlYSMZrxgbrs

[@MsClelia]

Watching your videos, I realize time after time how much French people have marked history haha, that makes me proud of my country! Thank you for the history reminder, even though we study that a lot in France. Your videos make everything easier to remember!

[@MsClelia]

+Varoon well we learn about that time mostly in middle school and high school ;) (I really like Stéphane Bern though haha!)

[@FORSIGHTPARADIGM]

Please consider my channel. I talk to Diderot experts: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnjVlYSMZrxgbrs

[@jonathanbyrdmusic]

vive Marie Curie!

[@BatGuy500]

I am proud of human beings. This is the kind of history we deserve.

[@zoz0boy]

These*

[@Lewa500]

zoz0boy Wrong, he got it right the first time.

[@FORSIGHTPARADIGM]

Please consider my channel. I talk to Diderot experts: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnjVlYSMZrxgbrs

[@ronnietea3205]

Also, have you noticed that the really important ones were mostly outlaws?

[@anirudhaswal6523]

my fav narrator gave this lesson...(y)

[@rocknrollch1ck]

And?....

[@Gamirca]

And...?

[@martinfarias4897]

And...?

[@dragonballzthelegend2316]

And...?

[@stoicism1239]

And?

[@supervegeta101]

sounds like it could be a movie

[@ronnietea3205]

Yes, something like the lord of the rings trilogy.

[@rocappreciater5540]

I think Ming Dynasty China has created something similar to an encyclopedia. The Emperor Yongle commissioned Yongle Canon(永乐大典) in 1403 and was completed in 1408. But sadly most of those copies were lost during the Palace fire of 1567, Li Zi Cheng's occupation of Beijing, Boxers rebellion and opium war.

[@cheeseweasel69]

I feel that the last sampled entry quite nicely sums up most TV. It doesn't inform, or help, but its purpose is for those who do not want to learn, or do not need help, but simply want something to watch (read) just to pass the time :)

[@dooseyboy]

i wonder how we can find this particular brand/version/series of encyclopedia that might contain the original articles and added on ones to keep with the times. i'd love to own a full series of encyclopedias

[@Obtaineudaimonia]

Interesting animation style

[@alexanderphilip1809]

The Encyclopedia was on of humanity's finest achievements

[@lillettesam]

i remember those when i was in elementary school, we'd use them to write reports before the internet was everywhere. By the time I was in 7th grade most had internet access at home, but no digi cams yet... i wish i had a digi cam when i was little you guys are very lucky!

[@GoldenGirls20]

love these videos!

[@Jonathan_T]

We can quote Voltaire, Montaigne, Rousseau, all were very good in their arts... but only one of them was an absolute genious out of his time : Diderot. Not enough quoted and red (except in french graduation tests^^), he was this kind of guy who doesn't fit into his era. I'm French but only by reading the article at the end of the video in english, I recognize his style (read Jacques the Fatalist ! all the book is like this article !^^), and I still can believe that in the 18th century there were people writing and thinking like that...

[@FORSIGHTPARADIGM]

Please consider my channel. I talk to Diderot experts: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnjVlYSMZrxgbrs

[@digitalatom6433]

I read that article just now. Today it's something a comedian would say, because it's quite funny. Back then, I could understand why people were pissed off. They didn't accept freedom of speech yet I suppose.

[@clarkepercivaljaeblood4886]

The narrating legend Addison Anderson, narrating his own lesson.

[@donfaustino2010]

Just realized he’s narrating his own lesson :o

[@tinkageorgewilliam871]

Honestly, the description of 'Aguaxima' was funny. Laughed all the way through.

[@Jourail]

I am a french subscriber, to this channel. ;)

[@piebsa6597]

It's so amazing how many people worked so hard to illuminate and teach the commoners on the 18th century

[@saurabhsawant7676]

ending music please..?

[@briannafries3866]

dude the description of aguaxima is so sassy I love it

[@TheBenenene10]

How is this not a movie yet?!

[@omarct]

Would love to read the whole thing.

[@JLRoberson]

Small quibble: as far as we know, Rousseau looked nothing like that. That looks more like Descartes.

[@ivanpodraza5670]

Pavao Skalić (latinizied Paulus Scalichius), Croatian adventurer, humanist and polihistor of the 16th century was the first one to use the term "encyclopaedia".

[@wolfizee6516]

4:37 Tip: Forks aren't edible.

[@Samuftie]

Rational dictionary of the arts, sciences, and crafts. AAAHHHH!!!

[@thebayleaf221]

Well this filled my curiosity.

[@tallybee9091]

So when is this movie going to be adapted?

[@AwesomeYena]

Does anyone else have to watch this for school?

[@strange_and_magnificent]

Great animation. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@emperorofholyrome5403]

Very interesting history that I never knew about.

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

One sentence of description, and an entire paragraph of the editor's opinion that that one sentence is pointless, acknowledging that there are people who know a great deal of information about the subject, but they were not asked, and finding fault with that not in the failure to research, but in the fact that the one piece of information was included at all. Yes, clearly, this was an unbiased compendium of all human knowledge.

[@miknarf]

I'm confused was that sarcasm? No one is claiming that it was unbiased. Even the video you just watched said that it was biased.

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

+miknarf Yes, it was sarcasm.

[@wolfinstign]

Cool it has the same animation style as "blank on blank" also very this is very interesting history and I'm somewhat inclined to start reading encyclopedias now.

[@denisdaily4479]

Nice video!

[@piebsa6597]

So sad that in history we only see Diderot as "the man who wrote the works of the Illuminated" and one of my friends said "we learn the name of someone who didn't invent something, but only wrote?"

[@ExistentialNights]

I can not recommend enough that everyone go research and look up Diderot and his life. It’s such an incredible story.

[@giancarlodagostino1269]

Can you do a video on animal classification?

[@studioghibliprofilepic48]

wonderful info

[@zecon5890]

I was so appalled at my sad attempt of a French accent, that I completely quit altogether.

[@Mrshoottokill]

I expected this to have at least a thousand likes, all i have for you is my one like and this comment but please remember this is a masterpiece that you should be proud of, Your's sincerely, a stranger commenting on your comment four years after you posted it.

[@zecon5890]

Farsek you are much too kind, good sir. Thank you.

[@HayleeDarby]

Wow this was so interesting! I just had a test on the Age of Reason, and it is interesting to have a more in depth view on some of these philosophes. Thank you!

[@FORSIGHTPARADIGM]

Please consider my channel. I talk to Diderot experts: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnjVlYSMZrxgbrs

[@maryhutch6246]

He did a great french accent at the end

[@Silvanam444]

Was this animated by Blank on Blank? The art is earily similar!

[@iMANTlS]

Ibn Kathir wrote an encyclopedia 1372 AD

[@pinecone27]

3.38 My self review after a Foreign Languages exam.

[@craigjacobs5858]

Pliny the Elder might raise an objection to this claim of the first encyclopedia.

[@jattprime2927]

bravo, bravo!

[@Discitus]

1:40 - Falling down a hole in Grimrock.

[@rickloyd8208]

Thanks, interesting

[@whatchachattin]

What about Pliny's Natural History?

[@elizabethiglesias1486]

THIS HELP ME ALOT

[@MosukaDreamer]

I read the last bit aloud (in a french accent). It was enlightening and funny. I think at that point he was tired of writing.

[@baltimoremalamola9777]

I felt like he was just utterly annoyed that people didn't do or write anything about a tree that they all know about ....lol

[@Jus10Ed]

Diderot would be pleased to know that that article about aguaxima caused me to look it up on Wikipedia. A few hundred years later, that article made me learn something. :)

[@FORSIGHTPARADIGM]

Please consider my channel. I talk to Diderot experts: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnjVlYSMZrxgbrs

[@borhex]

That laugh 00:33

[@Kriegerdammerung]

0:54 which novel is that? Chronicles of a Russian Princess?

[@kongab2025]

Who else read the Aguaxima entry? that was great

[@clarkepercivaljaeblood4886]

3:38-3:44

[@Two_lights867]

How dangerous writing could be?

[@banzailoco]

So... Aguaxima is a plant from Brazil, c'est bon à savoir ça . (^_^)

[@sirbobigianthegreat5318]

Thank you for making great videos that I can use for my last minute history group presentation! Their so informational and short that they are perfect!😭 I really need to stop procrastinating though… and do my own projects…

[@amreladawy3784]

So that was written by the famous narrator Anderson. I was wondering what kind of mind behind that voice.

[@groundhogfx9935]

2:53 GOTEEM

[@joebrennan9023]

What about the Yongle Encyclopedia that was written in the Ming Dynasty of China that outdated this encyclopedia? Are those two different kinds of encyclopedias?

[@hyrekandragon2665]

They were made independently then, which is common in history. Many civiliztions tend to discover/invent the same sorts of things independent from one another.

[@thatxiaosimp]

this is so cool!

[@akhilanand9999]

the ending was swag

[@bishwashbhatta8709]

The narrator ♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@marcosmulka]

great ending

[@sergeantskrtskrt9594]

3:40 ....Well he wasn't wrong bout the Seductive part...

[@joshvente6898]

Omg! He created the first fan fic too!

[@juanpablomina1346]

Awesome video, although I'm gonna have to disagree with Diderot on the last one. Sure, it's not much information, but some people might find it interesting. People who play Scrabble, for example :D He's kind of ridiculing people who would want to have that word in there, but I think it could have been useful for some people. Also, I remember once reading the entry on something that had to do with black people. It wasn't the most progressive view, but yeah...

[@flyingThunderGod]

a great video

[@FORSIGHTPARADIGM]

Please consider my channel. I talk to Diderot experts: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnjVlYSMZrxgbrs

[@markjamesmenorca4070]

Umm the narrators voice is so cool 😍

[@jqerty]

November 3,1749 so at 4:12 am?

[@vizthex]

so who else is here from Patrick Smith's (the animator's) channel?

[@kiro9291]

no chill in that encyclopedia absolutely no chill

[@Gilgameshh]

I didn't realize I was first but I finished watching it and I saw there was no comments so I reloaded just to see 2 comments had been made while I was watching

[@joseph-kim]

+Invoke Did it an hour late. Already 40 comments.

[@Gilgameshh]

Joseph Kim I didn't make that comment the same time as you did haha

[@joseph-kim]

LOL

[@ilikemathematics1590]

Hmmm

[@KR-nv3ru]

3:16 🤣🤣🤣

[@CoolersAndUttpSmokers]

Lol love this part 0:53

[@strange_and_magnificent]

I respect ✊ the encyclopedia now

[@sanatdharma2068]

The title of this video is misleading. How is this video on the origins of the Encyclopedia when they only speak on an encyclopedia from France in the 1700s. What about the Naturalis Historia, by Pliny the Elder, published in 77AD or the Etymologiae, by Saint Isodore of Seville, published around the year 600-625 in Spain? The Etymologiae was the most important collection of knowledge in Europe for over 400 years! Those two encyclopedias are some of the earliest known and potentially there could have been earlier encyclopedias no longer known from ancient Greece, India, China, Egypt, Persia etc. Not to mention that there were many others we know of that were published before the Encyclopedia made by Diderot...

[@faveelovescoffee]

And I did pause and read it in a French accent. ;-)

[@MOJO-IV]

It’s interesting how there is so many great stories yet too many boring movies

[@SGoodman]

What does he mean "read it yourself"? Is it online?

[@Fede_uyz]

that aguaxima entrie is the best entrie of entrieing in entrieing history.... this guy must be name the king of entreing for all eternity

[@xanokothe]

I saw Brazil at the end... must be somethink about butts, futball and carnaval...

[@haiironosora9714]

It's about the Aguaxima 😐

[@EmdrGreg]

The Aguaxima paragraph is brilliant. It is the most insightful and entertaining description of nothing at all that I have ever seen.

[@scivolanto]

Interesting to notice that the spirit of the first encyclopedia was exactly the contrary of Wikipedia's principles: the Encyclopedia was mainly an act of dissidence, disseminating censored thoughts and novel ideas, while Wikipedia's neutral point of view generally forbids to present any real alternative to the dominant discourse, or original work. Of course both approaches are interesting.

[@1685Violin]

+scivolanto There is one problem: Wikipedia can be biased sometimes. I don't know how and which ones except for "Gamergate". I need to be clear that I do not give a crap about Gamergate but at least I support their idea of journalism ethics. The problem is that the Wikipedia article seems to be biased as if it is supporting radical feminism and label the movement as a misgynistic community. I am not even sure which one is right; the people who support Gamergate that promotes freedom of speech and objective journalism or the feminsist viewpoint which I oppose.

[@scivolanto]

+Louis XIV (aka 1685Violin) You're right. I think the issue mainly emerges in the case of topics where a strong majority with rigid views exists. In this case, this majority is able to silence minorities, especially if these minorities are already discriminated against in the society at large. Some topics like History ("History is written by the winners"), societal aspects, ideologies, sexuality... are particularly weak to such biases. So people should be extra careful when reading these kinds of articles on Wikipedia, because strong biases are to be expected. Some articles are even quite Orwellian in my opinion, as they make disappear a whole part of the human thought and History. But I prefer remaining evasive here, as this concerns sensitive topics and I don't feel this is the appropriate place to debate about it.

[@JoseRoberto-uc6qe]

yes