NOTES ON THE EXTRACTS FROM “L’HISTOIRE NATURELLE DE L’AME.”
[87.] Matter, according to La Mettrie, is endowed with extensity, the power of movement, and the faculty of sensation. As La Mettrie says, this conception was not held by Descartes, who thought that the essential attribute of matter is extension. “The nature of body consists not in weight, hardness, color, and the like but in extension alone—in its being a substance extended in length, breadth and height.”[101] Hobbes’s conception of matter is very similar to that of La Mettrie. He specifically attributes motion to matter: “Motion and magnitude are the most common accidents of all bodies.”[102] He does not name sensation as an attribute of matter, but he reduces sensation to motion. “Sense is some internal motion in the sentient.”[103] Since motion is one of the attributes of matter, and since matter is the only reality in the universe, sensation must be attributed to matter.
[88.] La Mettrie always insists that matter has the power of moving itself, and resents any attempt to show that the motion is due to an outside agent. In this opinion he is in agreement with Toland. Toland says that those who have regarded matter as inert have had to find some efficient cause for motion; and to do this, they have held that all nature is animated. This pretended animation, however, is utterly useless, since matter is itself endowed with motion.
[89.] “This absurd system ... that animals are pure machines.” (See [Note 86].)
[1] Page-references are to the editions cited on pp. 205–207, except references to “Man a Machine” which are to this translation. The translated or original title of a French book is cited according as the editor has made use of translation or of French text. [↑]
[2] “Man More than a Machine,” pp. 10, 12. For statement of the editions to which these Notes make reference, see pp. 205–207. [↑]
[3] Locke’s “Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” Book II. Chap. XXIII, § 15. [↑]
[5] Condensed and translated from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 26. [↑]
[6] Translated from a note of Assézat in “L’homme machine.” [↑]
[7] Condensed and translated from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 4. [↑]
[8] Condensed from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. XXIII. All references are to this edition. [↑]
[9] “Man More than a Machine,” p. 5. [↑]
[10] “Discourse on Method,” Part. V. [↑]
[11] “Discourse on Method,” Part IV. [↑]
[13] “Traité des sensations,” Part IV, Chap. IX, § 5. [↑]
[14] “Système de la nature,” Vol. I, Chap. I. [↑]
[15] Quoted from Baldwin’s Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology, Vol. I. [↑]
[16] Condensed from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. XI. [↑]
[17] “Les passions de l’âme,” Part I, Art. XV, and Art. XXXIX. [↑]
[18] Ibid., Part I, Art. XV. [↑]
[19] Condensed from the Century Dictionary, Vol. IX. [↑]
[20] Translated and condensed from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 26. [↑]
[21] Condensed from the Century Dictionary, Vol. IX. [↑]
[22] “Man More than a Machine,” p. 23. [↑]
[23] “Discourse on Method,” V, last paragraph. [↑]
[24] “Système de la nature,” Vol. I, Chap. VII. [↑]
[25] Translated from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 26. [↑]
[26] Quoted from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. XXIV. [↑]
[27] Quoted from the Century Dictionary, Vol. IX. [↑]
[28] E. Haeckel, “The Riddle of the Universe,” Chap. III. [↑]
[29] Condensed from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. I. [↑]
[30] “The Riddle of the Universe,” Chap. II. [↑]
[31] Condensed from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. XXIII. [↑]
[32] Translated from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 31. [↑]
[33] “Leviathan,” Part I, Chap. IV. [↑]
[34] “L’histoire naturelle de l’âme,” Chap. XIV. p. 199. [↑]
[35] “Traité des sensations,” p. 50. Cf. ibid., Chap. XII (2). [↑]
[36] “Treatise on Man,” Sect. II, Chap. I, p. 4. Cf. “Essays on Mind,” Essay I, Chap. I, p. 7. [↑]
[37] “Leviathan,” Part I, Chap. XII. [↑]
[38] “Man More than a Machine,” p. 25. [↑]
[40] Quoted from Baldwin’s Dictionary of Philosophy, Vol. II. [↑]
[41] Condensed from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. II. [↑]
[42] “Traité des animaux,” Chap. I, p. 454. [↑]
[43] “Man More than a Machine,” p. 65. [↑]
[44] “L’histoire naturelle de l’âme,” Chap. X, § XII. [↑]
[45] “Treatise on Man,” Chap. X. [↑]
[47] “Le vrai sens du système de la nature,” Chap. IX. [↑]
[48] Ibid., Vol. I, Chap. VIII, p. 140. [↑]
[49] “Man More than a Machine,” pp. 71 and 72. [↑]
[50] Quoted from the Century Dictionary, Vol. IX. [↑]
[51] Translated from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 24. [↑]
[52] Quoted from the Century Dictionary, Vol. IX. [↑]
[53] Translated from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 14. [↑]
[54] Condensed from the Century Dictionary, Vol. X. [↑]
[55] Condensed from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. XV. [↑]
[56] Cf. A. W. Benn, “History of English Rationalism,” Vol. I, Chap. III. [↑]
[57] Quoted from the Century Dictionary, Vol. X. [↑]
[58] Translated and condensed from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 14. [↑]
[59] Translated and condensed from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 7. [↑]
[60] Condensed from F. A. Lange, “History of Materialism,” Vol. II, Chap. I, and from W. Windelband, “History of Philosophy,” Part V, Chap. I. [↑]
[61] “Système de la nature,” Vol. I, Chap. I, p. 12. [↑]
[62] Ibid., Vol. II, Chap. XI. Cf. Vol. I, Chap. VII. [↑]
[63] “Meditations,” III and V. [↑]
[64] “Leviathan,” Part I, Chap. XII. [↑]
[65] “Letters to Serena,” V, p. 235. [↑]
[66] “Traité des animaux,” Chap. VI, p. 585. [↑]
[67] “Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” Book IV, Chap. X. [↑]
[68] Quoted from the Century Dictionary, Vol. IX. [↑]
[69] Translated and condensed from the Dictionnaire des Sciences philosophiques, Vol. III, Paris, 1847. [↑]
[70] “Traité des animaux,” Chap. VI. [↑]
[71] “Système de la nature,” Vol. II, Chap. XVI, p. 451. [↑]
[72] Ibid., Chap. XXVI, p. 485. Cf. Luzac’s criticism in “Man More than a Machine,” p. 94. [↑]
[74] “Système de la nature,” Vol. I, Chap. VII, pp. 121–122. [↑]
[75] Condensed and translated from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 13. [↑]
[76] Condensed from the Century Dictionary, Vol. IX. [↑]
[77] F. A. Lange, “History of Materialism,” Vol. I, Sec. II, Chap. III. [↑]
[78] “Sylva Sylvarum sive Historia Naturalis Latio Transcripta a J. Gruteo.” Lug. Batavos, 1648. Cf. Bk. IV, Experiment 400. [↑]
[79] Condensed from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. IV. [↑]
[80] Translated and condensed from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 30. [↑]
[81] “Les passions de l’âme,” Part I, Art. 13. [↑]
[82] “Essays on the Mind,” Essay I, Chap. I, pp. 4ff. [↑]
[83] Condensed from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. IV. [↑]
[84] “Les passions de l’âme,” Part I, Art. 41. [↑]
[85] “L’histoire naturelle de l’âme,” Chap. XII, p. 164. Cf. Chap. XII, p. 167. [↑]
[86] “Système de la nature,” Vol. I, Chap. VI, pp. 89ff. [↑]
[87] “Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous,” I, Open Court edition; pp. 27, 28, 29. Cf. “Principles of Human Knowledge,” par. 10, 15. [↑]
[88] Quoted from J. Burnet, “Early Greek Philosophy,” Chap. II. [↑]
[90] “Les passions de l’âme,” Part I, Art. VIII. [↑]
[91] Quoted from the Century Dictionary, Vol. X. [↑]
[92] Translated and condensed from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 19. [↑]
[93] Condensed from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. III. [↑]
[94] Translated and condensed from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 26. [↑]
[95] “Letters to Serena,” V. [↑]
[96] “Système de la nature,” Vol. II, Chap. II, p. 32. [↑]
[97] Condensed from the Century Dictionary, Vol. IX. [↑]
[98] Translated and condensed from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 22. [↑]
[99] Translated and condensed from La Grande Encyclopédie, Vol. 31. [↑]
[100] “L’histoire naturelle de l’âme,” Chap. VI. [↑]
[101] “Principles of Metaphysics,” Part II, Prop. 4. [↑]
[102] “De Corpore,” Part III, Chap. XV. [↑]