D'Alembert's motives behind such an enterprise can ultimately be referenced to one of the ideas that he puts forth in the Discourse, for "liberty of action and thought alone is capable of producing great things, and liberty requires only enlightenment to preserve it from excess" (62). Clerical control in the domain of knowledge and intellect was considered detrimental to the progress of human knowledge. Maintaining that the Discourse was ultimately corrosive to hierarchical authority and privilege paved the way for the evolution of egalitarian principles in Western culture. D'Alembert puts forth that all men are equal in their sensations, which is the source of their mind. The ultimate distinction of man is primarily intellectual, which overthrows any preconceived connection between social privilege and knowledge. Therefore, the Encyclopedia as a whole speaks to the general public.