Baron D’Holbach
French Author, Philosopher & Encyclopediast
CHY4U: The Enlightened Enlightenment Assignment
Mikayla Roka& Gillian Steven
Biographical Information:
 Paul-Henri Thiry Baron D’Holbach
 Born in Edesheim Germany on December, 8 1723 – Died in Paris, France on
January 21, 1789.
Key Dates:
 Attended University of Leiden (Rapenburg, Netherlands) from 1744 to 1749.
o School in a protestant states suggests Baron had a more open
education.
 Opened a salon in Paris, in Rue Royale, Butte Saint-Roch in 1750.
o Holbach opened the salon with his own wealth and was a success as it
lasted from 1750-1780.
o Hosted serious intellectuals, social friends and relatives to discuss
views that many thought were too radical to be discussed in social
settings.
o Many individual’s who attended were atheists. Including Jean-Jacques
Rousseau who shared similar views as Baron D’Holbach.
 Baron’s book of his own philosophy “The System of Nature”, published in
1770.
Area of Study:
 Studied the Political and Social state of the world through human behaviour.
 He expressed his ideas through the notion that everything could be explained
in matter and motions.
 Shared similar ideas as Thomas Hobbes, declaring that self-preservation as
the most basic human desire linking it to overall happiness.
 Believes in Utilitarianism – Ideas benefit the majority.
o “Theory of social contract”- 1773
How he is/was viewed:
 Then: Perceived as a radical thinker, entertaining views many thought were
too far out.
 Now: Known as one of the starters of the Atheist movement, despite his work
being impactful, he is not as recognized as other philosophers, like Rousseau
who illustrated similar views.
Enlightened Ideas
Major Work:
 “The System of Nature”- published in 1770
Main Topic:
 First outline of a system of a philosophy of nature, denying the existence of
god depending on deterministic and natural laws.
Major Ideas:
 Philosophical materialism:
o The world is governed by strict deterministic laws.
o Free will is an illusion; Occurrences in nature, or social &
Psychological life are determined by natural laws.
 God does not exist; concluding that believing in a higher power is the
consequence of fear and lack of understanding.
o Atheist beliefs
o “whatever happens takes place because it inexorably must.”- No
religious power having control over events in your life.
o There is no "soul" without a living body.
What He Concluded:
 God does not exist meaning religion is not a justifiable mean for any
occurrences.
 The world is governed by deterministic & natural laws.
Quotations:
“If the ignorance of nature gave birth to such a variety of gods, the knowledge of this nature
is calculated to destroy them.”
o Concluding that the acknowledgement of a higher power will only bring turmoil to
the justice of other events. (Conflict of belief)
o Thinks this way because of his education and atheist views surrounding him.
“Religion has ever filled the mind of man with darkness, and kept him in ignorance of real
duties and true interests. It is only by dispelling the clouds and phantoms of religion, that
we shall discover truth, reason, and mortality. ”
o Enlightened views: reason: he is expressing the importance of education in which
religion only provides you with one answer.
“Let education kindle only those which are beneficial to the human species; let it favour
those alone which are really necessary to the maintenance of society.
o He is justifying the benefits of education and how it will help those willing to accept
the idea of reason while pushing religion outwards.