Passage: Diderot’s 'Encyclopedie' was the quintessential Enlightenment project, aiming to 'change the common way of thinking' by collecting all human knowledge in one place. By making information on science, technology, and philosophy accessible, Diderot hoped to strip the clergy and the monarchy of their role as the sole gatekeepers of truth. However, the project was plagued by censorship and financial struggles. Its critics argued that by 'democratizing' knowledge, Diderot was actually undermining the intellectual standards necessary for a stable civilization. They feared that 'vulgar' readers would misinterpret complex ideas, leading to social instability.