Earlier reference works sought above all to preserve and transmit existing knowledge. The significant Encyclopédie – a collective work of French Enlightenment thinkers – pursued a new goal: knowledge was not only to be presented comprehensively and systematically, but also to be critically examined. Here one sees a kinship with Kant’s critical approach, even though his approach was essentially more theoretical.
The Encyclopédie became a precursor and model for many modern reference works, from Brockhaus to Wikipedia. Today we consult Artificial Intelligence – but who examines it critically?