# Figurative system of human knowledge

The "figurative system of human knowledge" (French: Système figuré des connaissances humaines), sometimes known as the tree of Diderot and d'Alembert, was a tree developed to represent the structure of knowledge itself, produced for the Encyclopédie by Jean le Rond d'Alembert and Denis Diderot.
The tree was a taxonomy of human knowledge, inspired by Francis Bacon's The Advancement of Learning. The three main branches of knowledge in the tree are: "Memory"/History, "Reason"/Philosophy, and "Imagination"/Poetry.
Notable is the fact that theology is ordered under philosophy. The historian Robert Darnton has argued that this categorization of religion as being subject to human reason, and not a source of knowledge in and of itself (revelation), was a significant factor in the controversy surrounding the work. "Knowledge of God" is only a few nodes away from divination and black magic.

## Content

Below is a version of the Tree rendered in English as a bulleted outline.
"Detailed System of Human Knowledge" from the Encyclopédie.
* Understanding
   * Memory.
      * History.
         * Sacred (History of Prophets).
         * Ecclesiastical.
         * Civil, Ancient and Modern.
            * Civil History, properly said. (See also: History of civil society)
            * Literary History.
               * Memoirs.
               * Antiquities. (See also: Classical antiquity)
               * Complete Histories.
         * Natural.
            * Uniformity of Nature. (See: Uniformitarianism)
               * Celestial History.
               * History...
                  * of Meteors.
                  * of the Earth and the Sea (See also: Origin of water on Earth)
                  * of Minerals. (See also: Geological history of Earth)
                  * of Vegetables. (See also: History of agriculture)
                  * of Animals. (See also: Evolutionary history of life)
                  * of the Elements. (See also: Classical element, History of alchemy, and History of chemistry)
            * Deviations of Nature.
               * Celestial Wonders.
               * Large Meteors. (See also: Asteroids)
               * Wonders of Land and Sea. (See: Wonders of the World)
               * Monstrous Minerals.
               * Monstrous Vegetables. (See: Largest plants, Poisonous plants, and Carnivorous plants)
               * Monstrous Animals. (See: Largest animals and Predators)
               * Wonders of the Elements. (See: Natural disasters)
            * Uses of Nature (See Technology and Applied sciences)
               * Arts, Crafts, Manufactures.
                  * Work and Uses of Gold and Silver.
                     * Minter.
                     * Gold Beaters.
                     * Gold Spinners.
                     * Gold Drawers.
                     * Silversmith & Goldsmith.
                     * Planisher
                     * Mounter（METTEUR EN ŒUVRE）,etc.
                  * Work and Uses of Precious Stones.
                     * Lapidary.
                     * Diamond cutting.
                     * Jeweler, etc.
                  * Work and Uses of Iron.
                     * Large Forges.
                     * Locksmith.
                     * Tool Making.
                     * Armorer.
                     * Gun Making, etc.
                  * Work and Uses of Glass.
                     * Glassmaking.
                     * Plate-Glassmaking.
                     * Mirror Making.
                     * Optician.
                     * Glazier, etc.
                  * Work and Uses of Skin.
                     * Tanner.
                     * Chamois Maker.
                     * Leather Merchant.
                     * Glove Making, etc.
                  * Work and Uses of Stone, Plaster, Slate, etc.
                     * Practical Architecture.
                     * Practical Sculpture.
                     * Mason.
                     * Tiler, etc.
                  * Work and Uses of Silk.
                     * Spinning.
                     * Milling.
                     * Needlecraft.
                     * Velvet.
                     * Brocaded Fabrics, etc.
                  * Work and Uses of Wool.
                     * Cloth-Making.
                     * Bonnet-Making, etc.
                  * Working and Uses, etc.
   * Reason
      * Philosophy
         * General Metaphysics, or Ontology, or Science of Being in General, of Possibility, of Existence, of Duration, etc.
         * Science of God.
            * Natural Theology.
            * Revealed Theology.
            * Science of Good and Evil Spirits.
               * Divination.
               * Black magic.
         * Science of Man.
            * Pneumatology or Science of the Soul.
               * Reasonable.
               * Sensible.
            * Logic.
               * Art of Thinking.
                  * Apprehension.
                     * Science of Ideas
                  * Judgement.
                     * Science of Propositions.
                  * Reasoning.
                     * Induction.
                  * Method.
                     * Demonstration.
                        * Analysis.
                        * Synthesis.
               * Art of Remembering.
                  * Memory.
                     * Natural.
                     * Artificial.
                        * Prenotion.
                        * Emblem.
                  * Supplement to Memory.
                     * Writing.
                     * Printing.
                        * Alphabet.
                        * Cipher.
                           * Arts of Writing, Printing, Reading, Deciphering.
                              * Orthography.
               * Art of Communication
                  * Science of the Instrument of Discourse.
                     * Grammar.
                        * Signs.
                           * Gesture.
                              * Pantomime.
                              * Declamation.
                           * Characters.
                              * Ideograms.
                              * Hieroglyphics.
                              * Heraldry or Blazonry.
                        * Prosody.
                        * Construction.
                        * Syntax.
                        * Philology.
                        * Critique.
                     * Pedagogy.
                        * Choice of Studies.
                        * Manner of Teaching.
                  * Science of Qualities of Discourse.
                     * Rhetoric.
                     * Mechanics of Poetry.
            * Ethics.
               * General.
                  * General Science of Good and Evil, of duties in general, of Virtue, of the necessity of being Virtuous, etc.
               * Particular.
                  * Science of Laws or Jurisprudence.
                     * Natural.
                     * Economic. (See also commercial law)
                     * Political. (See also political law)
                        * Internal and External. (See also foreign policy)
                        * Commerce on Land and Sea.
         * Science of Nature
            * Metaphysics of Bodies or, General Physics, of Extent, of Impenetrability, of Movement, of Word, etc.
            * Mathematics.
               * Pure.
                  * Arithmetic.
                     * Numeric.
                     * Algebra.
                        * Elementary.
                        * Infinitesimal.
                           * Differential.
                           * Integral.
                  * Geometry.
                     * Elementary (Military Architecture, Tactics).
                     * Transcendental (Theory of Courses).
               * Mixed.
                  * Mechanics.
                        * Statics.
                           * Statics, properly said.
                           * Hydrostatics.
                        * Dynamics.
                           * Dynamics, properly said.
                           * Ballistics.
                           * Hydrodynamics.
                              * Hydraulics.
                              * Navigation, Naval Architecture.
                  * Geometric Astronomy.
                     * Cosmography.
                        * Uranography.
                        * Geography.
                        * Hydrography.
                     * Chronology.
                     * Gnomonics.
                  * Optics.
                     * Optics, properly said.
                     * Dioptrics, Perspective.
                     * Catoptrics.
                  * Acoustics.
                  * Pneumatics.
                  * Art of Conjecture. Analysis of Chance.
               * Physicomathematics.
            * Particular Physics.
               * Zoology.
                  * Anatomy.
                     * Simple.
                     * Comparative.
                  * Physiology.
                  * Medicine.
                     * Hygiene.
                        * Hygiene, properly said.
                        * Cosmetics (Orthopedics).
                        * Athletics (Gymnastics).
                     * Pathology.
                     * Semiotics.
                     * Treatment.
                        * Diete.
                        * Surgery.
                        * Pharmacy.
                  * Veterinary Medicine.
                  * Horse Management.
                  * Hunting.
                  * Fishing.
                  * Falconry.
               * Physical Astronomy.
                  * Astrology.
                     * Judiciary Astrology.
                     * Physical Astrology.
               * Meteorology.
               * Cosmology.
                  * Uranology.
                  * Aerology.
                  * Geology.
                  * Hydrology.
               * Botany.
                  * Agriculture.
                  * Gardening.
               * Mineralogy.
               * Chemistry.
                  * Chemistry, properly said, (Pyrotechnics, Dyeing, etc.).
                  * Metallurgy.
                  * Alchemy.
                  * Natural Magic.
   * Imagination.
      * Poetry.
         * Sacred, Profane.
            * Narrative.
               * Epic Poem
               * Madrigal
               * Epigram
               * Novel, etc.
            * Dramatic
               * Tragedy
               * Comedy
               * Opera
               * Pastoral, etc.
            * Parable
               * Allegory
(Note: This next branch seems to belong to both the narrative and dramatic tree, as indicated by the line drawn connecting the two.)
            * Music
               * Theoretical
               * Practical (see also musical technique)
               ** Instrumental
               ** Vocal
            * Painting
            * Sculpture
            * Civil architecture
            * Engraving