From Freedom to the Mysteries of State: Diderot's Political Discussion With Catherine the Great

The article examines Diderot's relationship with Catherine II in respect of two specific questions: first, their different interpretation of Montesquieu's concept of liberty; second, the possible influence of their encounter on Diderot's reflection on the arcana imperii . Ironical notes found in Observations sur le Nakaz (1774) and ironical commentaries in Principes de politiques des souverains (1774) show that theorizing political action by a founding text can be considered as a modern mystery of state. The article argues that the Russian experience must be interpreted as a functional and not as a chronological divide in Diderot's political thought.