Paul-Henri d’Holbach
born
December 1723, Edesheim, near Landau,
Rhenish Palatinate
died June 21, 1789, Paris
French encyclopaedist and philosopher, a
celebrated exponent of atheism and
Materialism, whose inherited wealth
allowed him to entertain many of the
noted philosophers of the day, some of
whom (Comte de Buffon, J.-J. Rousseau,
d’Alembert) reportedly withdrew from his
gatherings, frightened by the audacity
of their speculations.
In deference to his uncle (F.A.
d’Holbach, a naturalized French citizen
to whom he owed his wealth), he added
the surname d’Holbach to that of
Dietrich (sometimes rendered in French
as Thiry). He himself became a
naturalized French citizen in 1749.
D’Holbach contributed to Diderot’s
Encyclopédie 376 articles (translations
from German texts), mostly on chemistry
and allied scientific topics. His most
popular book, Système de la nature
(1770; “The System of Nature”),
published under the name of J.B.
Mirabaud, caustically derided religion
and espoused an atheistic, deterministic
Materialism: causality became simply
relationships of motion, man became a
machine devoid of free will, and
religion was excoriated as harmful and
untrue. In Le Christianisme dévoilé
(1761; “Christianity Unveiled”),
published under the name of a deceased
friend, N.A. Boulanger, he attacked
Christianity as contrary to reason and
nature. Système social (1773; “Social
System”) placed morality and politics in
a utilitarian framework wherein duty
became prudent self-interest. His
writings, considered mere echoes of
opinions expressed by those who shared
his table, were illogical and
inconsistent. Voltaire felt the need to
reply, but J.W. von Goethe and Percy
Bysshe Shelley fell under their sway.
Benevolent by nature, d’Holbach set
aside his personal dislikes by offering
his home to exiled Jesuits in 1762.
