Jean Pestré, or Pestre, (1723,

Saint-Geniez-d'Olt Saint-Geniez-d'Olt (, literally ''Saint Geniez of Lot (river), Olt''; ) is a former Communes of France, commune in the Aveyron Departments of France, department in southern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Saint- ...

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

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

. He worked closely with the two

encyclopédistes The Encyclopédistes () (also known in British English as Encyclopaedists, or in U.S. English as Encyclopedists) were members of the , a French writers' society, who contributed to the development of the ''Encyclopédie'' from June 1751 to Dece ...

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 ...

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

Encyclopédie , better known as ''Encyclopédie'' (), was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It had many writers, known as the Encyclopédistes. It was edited by Denis ...

'' 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 along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during t ...

and

D’Alembert Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert ( ; ; 16 November 1717 – 29 October 1783) was a French mathematician, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. Until 1759 he was, together with Denis Diderot, a co-editor of the ''Encyclopédi ...

. 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 François Raynal, Guillaume ...

''. He later earned a living by giving private lessons, in particular to

Antoine Allut Antoine is a French given name (from the Latin ''Antonius'' meaning 'highly praise-worthy') that is a variant of Danton, Titouan, D'Anton and Antonin. The name is most common in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, West Greenland, Haiti, French ...

, 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 1723 births 1821 deaths People from Saint-Geniez-d'Olt 18th-century French Catholic theologians Contributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)