Jean Pestré, or Pestre, (1723,

Saint-Geniez-d'Olt Saint-Geniez-d'Olt (, literally ''Saint Geniez of Olt''; oc, Sent Ginièis d'Òlt) is a former commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Saint-Geniez-d'Olt-et-d'Aubrac.

– 1821, Paris) was an 18th–19th-century French

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

. He worked closely with the two encyclopédistes abbés Claude Yvon and

Jean-Martin de Prades Jean-Martin de Prades (c.1720–1782) was a French Catholic theologian. He became famous through a thesis he presented that was considered irreligious. Life Prades was born at Castelsarrasin, Tarn-et-Garonne. Having finished his preliminary s ...

. From 1751, all three shared an apartment in Paris and contributed to the first volume published in June 1751 of the '' Encyclopédie'' by

Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the ''Encyclopédie'' along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominen ...

and D’Alembert. Abbé Pestré wrote the articles signed "C", ''baconisme ou philosophie de Bacon'', ''bonheur'', ''cabale'', ''calomnie'', '' Campanella'', ''Canadiens'', '' Cardan'', ''cartésianisme'' and ''complaisance'' for volumes II and III. Marked by the philosophie des Lumières, his articles adopt a sensualist point of view. Pestre ceased to contribute to the ''Encyclopédie'' after the controversy surrounding the theory of the abbot of Prades which saw the temporary exile of the latter and Yvon. It is possible that, remained close to his compatriot abbé Raynal, Pestré contributed anonymously to his ''

Histoire des deux Indes The , more often known simply as , is an encyclopaedia on commerce between Europe and the Far East, Africa, and the Americas. It was published anonymously in Amsterdam in 1770 and attributed to Abbot Guillaume Thomas Raynal. It achieved conside ...

''. He later earned a living by giving private lessons, in particular to Antoine Allut, futur Encyclopédiste.

Bibliography

* * Matthias Glötzner: ''Wissen ist Macht - Die französische Aufklärung im Spiegel der Encyclopédie.'' Grin-Verlag, Norderstedt (2007)

External links

Jean Pestré
on Wikisource
University of Michigan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pestre, Jean 18th-century French Catholic theologians Contributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772) People from Aveyron 1723 births 1821 deaths