THE DUAL STRUCTURE OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIE

• The encyclopaedia as a whole

An encyclopaedia is meant to cover the whole 'circle' of knowledge.

See the complex structure evoked in the Encyclopédie (Discours).

• Microstructure

Classification and cross-references between articles: multiple 'liaisons' as a main structural principle.

You may see the whole text on the website of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, in the 'Bibliothèque numérique/Gallica' section.