Hello! I study history in 11th grade and right now we're learning about the age of enlightenment. Last lesson my teacher asked us a question about why did France have the most philosophers during that period. I tried looking into it myself but haven't come up with a clear answer. So please help me answer this, thank you in advance :)
I disagree with your teacher that the French had the most philosopher during the period. Whilst there are prominent French philosophers like Voltaire and Diderot. There was also Hume (Scottish), Rousseau (Swiss - not French), Kant (German), Adam smith (Scottish), Thomas Paine (English) etc.
But I would answer your question by saying that one particularly influential Enlightenment publication was the Encyclopédie (Encyclopedia). Published between 1751 and 1772 in thirty-five volumes, it was compiled by Denis Diderot, Jean le Rond d'Alembert, and a team of 150 other intellectuals. The Encyclopédie helped in spreading the ideas of the Enlightenment across Europe and beyond. The person most responsibly for the Encyclopédie was Denis Diderot, who was French. Hence the idea that France had the most philosophers in the period.
France would argue that they were at the centre of the enlightenment. But I don’t think you can take away from the Scottish enlightenment and German intellectualism.
Having said all that, you might find a more specific answer for your teacher here: https://www.britannica.com/place/France/Cultural-transformation