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Forgotten Encyclopedia

The Forgotten Encyclopedia is a scholarly description for an unfinished mid-18th-century encyclopedic project associated with Benedictine monks of the Congregation of Saint-Maur in Paris.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

The Forgotten Encyclopedia is a scholarly description for an unfinished mid-18th-century encyclopedic project associated with Benedictine monks of the Congregation of Saint-Maur in Paris. It was developed at the same time as Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie and aimed to compile a universal dictionary of arts, crafts, and sciences. The project was never completed and remained largely unknown.

History

The project was initiated in mid-18th-century Paris by monks from the Maurist Congregation. It was never completed and remained largely unknown compared with better-known Enlightenment encyclopedias.

Purpose and scope

The stated aim was to create a universal dictionary covering arts, crafts, and sciences. This placed it within the broader Enlightenment effort to organize human knowledge in reference form.

Relationship to other encyclopedias

The project developed at the same time as the Encyclopédie of Diderot and d’Alembert. The comparison highlights that multiple encyclopedia projects were underway in Enlightenment-era France.

Key facts

  • It was compiled by two Benedictine monks from the Congregation of Saint-Maur.
  • The project is described as a universal dictionary of arts, crafts, and sciences.
  • It was being developed in Paris in the mid-18th century.
  • The encyclopedia was unfinished and later described as a forgotten or abandoned encyclopedic project.
  • It existed contemporaneously with Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Forgotten Encyclopedia?
It is an unfinished 18th-century encyclopedic project associated with Maurist Benedictine monks in Paris.
Who worked on it?
Two Benedictine monks from the Congregation of Saint-Maur are identified as its compilers.
What was it meant to cover?
It aimed to be a universal dictionary of arts, crafts, and sciences.
Was it completed?
No. The project is described as abandoned or unfinished.
How is it related to the Encyclopédie?
It was being developed in Paris at the same time as Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie.

References

  1. DIVA Portal — https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:715277/FULLTEXT02.pdf
    Supports: Describes the Forgotten Encyclopedia as a mid-18th-century Paris project compiled by two Maurist monks and aimed at a universal dictionary of arts, crafts, and sciences.
  2. Voltaire Foundation — https://voltairefoundation.wordpress.com/2017/02/10/exploring-an-abandoned-18th-century-encyclopedia-an-academic-detective-story/
    Supports: Describes the project as an unfinished Maurist encyclopedia developed in Paris at the same time as Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie.