Baron d'Holbach Holbach was born in 1723 in Edesheim, small town in the Palatinate region of Germany bordering France. After studying in Paris and Leiden (Netherlands)-focus of the secular-liberal thought and in 1749 moved permanently in the Parisian capital where he lived until his death in 1789, months before the French Revolution. Its good financial position, thanks to the vast fortune he inherited from his uncle Franz Adam Holbach addition to their title of nobility ", let him devote himself to his passion: philosophy. In his mansion in the Rue Royale, Saint-Roch in Paris, gathered weekly, on Thursdays and Sundays to be exact-to the great intellectuals and philosophers of the time, preferably the 'Encyclopedists' (over there regularly paraded Diderot, D'Alembert, Rousseau, Voltaire, Hume, Buffon, Helvetius, Condillac Beccaria, etc.). Their hospitality knew no bounds, as their rooms also welcomed scientists, lawyers, politicians, writers, artists ... Those gatherings were named by Rousseau as the 'club holbáquico. " "It used to gather between fifteen and twenty people who love the arts and the spirit and served an excellent wine and great coffee in meetings where they dominated the simplicity of manners and the joy and began at two in the afternoon and lengthened to eight (...) The theists and atheists defended their positions at the Baron surrounded by the spirit of tolerance " says Agustín Izquierdo, Ph.D. Complutense University and author of philosophy against religion [5] .
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HOME OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DIDEROT
Holbach contributed much to the monumental Encyclopédie of Diderot (collaborated with 376 articles on philosophy, physics, chemistry, geology, medicine, mineralogy, metallurgy ...). And supported it financially. "With friendship and support of Diderot, and his fortune to the project, Holbach was established in a kind of 'manager' of the group, or 'sponsor'. And, simultaneously, put his information and his pen to the service battle of the philosophers ", says José Manuel Bermudo, Professor of History of Modern Philosophy at the University of Barcelona. Between 1760 and 1780 had a strong literary work, writing and translating major works irreligious and atheists (also pantheistic [6] and deists) of the moment. Moreover, philanthropic actions were noticeable. He himself declared "I am rich, but I see no fortune but a good tool for acting more promptly and effectively" . He also stressed to combat religious and political prejudices, with particular emphasis on the need to eradicate superstitions, fears and constant source of injustice. Man invents heavenly powers to mitigate the fears born of ignorance. In support of its atheistic materialism, Holbach was based on scientific knowledge and a rational view of the world. For him there was only one reality: the material, which is eternal and is in constant movement. No place to the transcendent. There is no providence or divine creator is worth. There is only nature that is self-sufficient, with its immutable laws of cause and effect (nothing occurs by chance), and the creatures that are part of it (suggested that morality should be based on natural laws and not fictitious supernatural budgets). Beyond the tangible world of immanence, there is nothing. There are no final causes no intention in the universe. "Let us therefore acknowledge that the matter exists by itself, acting under its own power and not annihilate ever. Let's say that matter is eternal and that Nature has been, is and will always engaged in producing, destroy, do and undo, follow the laws of their existence are necessary " said the philosopher.
"Holbach symbolizes the maximum threshold of philosophical radicalism which was capable of a sector of the bourgeoisie in complete opposition to feudalism" , says the philosopher Pascal Charbonnat. That's right. Its absolute atheism and anticlerical-core militants, in his view, to establish a reasonable ethical system that ensures the happiness of mankind, something that religions have failed miserably, in contrast to theism and deism shared most Enlightenment philosophers, hence was considered the driving force of the atheist ideas in the European Enlightenment. "Holbach exceeded in abundance, size and systematic work of other materialist thinkers of the period, as Fontenelle, La Mettrie and Freret. What they had barely sketched in short pamphlets, in Baron's work is the subject of voluminous treaties, which strives to unify their thinking and the basis of anthropological and psychological explanation of the origin of religion " says Josep Lluís Teodoro, Doctor of classical philology and associate professor at the University of Valencia. Holbach wrote many books, but the main ones were: Christianity uncovered (1761) and Nature System (1770) [7] . This last work, in which he explained his views largely materialistic and mechanistic, it soon became the most prominent of enlightened thought. Caused a stir in those countries where it was published, because not only was born in France but also in Germany, England, Spain and even the United States. As expected, was condemned by the clergy in the same year of publication, being included in the blacklist of the Index librorum prohibitorum . The Parliament of Paris also forbade the August 18, 1770, ordering it to be publicly burned (luckily, few copies were confiscated.) To avoid risks, Holbach published his works under a pseudonym or anonymously (your Conservation System was signed with the name of M. Mirabaud). Why this work triggered much suspicion, even of King Frederick II of Prussia? ... For her, the author does not mince words. His incisive style radicalism and left no one indifferent. Mercilessly attacked religious beliefs. Unsanctifying supernatural. A stroke deconstructed myths and superstitions that make men fearful slaves. And he's the reason the most effective weapon to defeat the ignorance, the major culprit of spreading around the world so many frauds theological and metaphysical. "I see everywhere men more cunning and learned that the common people, who deceive through incantations and love the works to create supernatural, it ignores the secrets of nature and art resources" he said.
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CHRISTIANITY EXPOSED
"It is completely opposite to my principles. This book leads to hate atheism ", Voltaire said, referring to the work Christianity uncovered . I could not suspect that was written by his good friend Holbach, as was attributed to the 'late Mr. Boulanger ", another pseudonym used by the host philosophers. The book was distributed clandestinely, but had a huge impact. The author argued strongly that religion is harmful to men, since they have lower earnings, highlighted the asocial nature of Christianity and promote ignorance over the exclusion of reason and experience. " (Religion) seems detrimental to the welfare of the state, hostile to the progress of the human spirit and opposed to the healthy moral wrote Holbach in the preface to his work. Reach the celestial kingdom proposed by Christianity is not easy. To purify the soul, it requires sacrifice and penance, renouncing mortification of the flesh and the pleasures. So, love the pain. To make matters worse, hell and eternal punishment awaiting sinners. The best antidote against such chimeras?: Atheism, whose purpose is simply to banish fear and ignorance. "Faith prohibits the doubt and review, deprives man of the right to exercise his reason and freedom of thought [...] Faith is a virtue invented by men who feared the light of reason, who wanted to deceive their peers to undergo its own authority and degrade tried to exercise his power over them ", sentence.
reactions were swift. The Abbe Bergier, the enemy of enlightened ideas, wrote a book of more than 800 pages under the title: Apologie of religion chrétienne contre l'auteur du Christianisme dévoilé (1769). Thereby tried to discredit the content atheist, anticlerical and anti-Christianity of exposed. But the great Holbach demonstrated quite easily in the handling of biblical texts, finding blatant contradictions and errors that dismantle ipso facto the assumption that the Bible is inspired by God. Was written by men and it badly. "Do men are not prone to deceive themselves and deceive others? How do you know then if we can rely on the testimony of those spokespersons of Heaven? How to know if they have been victims of a too vivid imagination or a dream? ", Holbach wonders. For the atheist philosopher, the Gospel is a novel full of fictional stories and crazy. A full-scale plagiarism of ancient pagan legends. "Do not be surprised if we see the Jews and Christians that took place imbued with notions borrowed from the Phoenicians, magicians Persian Greeks and Romans " he said. And Jesus was no more than a talker, a storyteller who announced prophecies ever met and that gave precepts impossible to meet. "fanaticism and enthusiasm are the basis of Christ's moral " he says. recommended virtues tend to isolate people, induce a somber mood and make them often harmful to their peers. Below are needed human virtues ". In addition, his atoning death alleged to no avail. The redemption of mankind has been a huge fiasco. The evil continues to rage in the world and nothing has improved since the time of Jesus.
Holbach was surprised the lack of knowledge and interest that the devotee is on his own religion. Cree by inertia, because that is what she has been taught since childhood of pure habit. "The surest way to deceive people and perpetuate their prejudices is deceiving since childhood" he says. But when it reaches adulthood, the believer does not bother to find out the reasons for his faith or wonder if it makes any sense beliefs to defend with such zeal:
"Most men only love their religion and custom. They have never seriously examined the reasons bind them to it, the reasons for his conduct and the basis for their opinions. What seems more important to them was always that what we most feared deeper. Follow the paths that their parents have set, they believe because they have been told since childhood to be believed, they hope that their ancestors have expected, because their ancestors shudder been shaken, and almost never have deigned to question the motives of their beliefs. "
regard to Christian morality, Holbach is clearly not the best choice for peaceful coexistence among men
"The Christian religion that prides itself on providing unwavering support for the moral and offer men the strongest motives to lead towards virtue, was for them a source of division, anger and crime. Under the pretext of bringing peace, the religion brought only anger, hatred, discord and war [...] The Christian religion has no right to boast of the benefits brought about morality or politics. Arranquémosle the veil that covers us go back to your home, consider its principles, follow him on his way and find that, based on deception, ignorance and credulity, has not been nor will ever be useful, but for men interested in deceiving the human race that never stopped cause the worst evils of nations and that instead of the promised happiness, only served to get drunk with fury, drenched in blood, anchoring them in the delirium and crime and make them unaware of their true interests and most sacred duties. "
To which he adds:
"Since the founding of Christianity we face different sects, we see Christians hate, divide, harming and treated each other with the most refined cruelty [...] The religion, who boasted of bringing harmony and peace, for 18 centuries has caused the most damage and has shed more blood all the superstitions of paganism [...] The spirit of persecution and intolerance are typical of a religion that believes emanates from a God jealous of his power and has formally ordered the murder, whose supporters have been inhuman persecutors, and , at the height of his anger, death has spared not his own son. " According
Holbach, miracles and wonders are, in some cases, natural phenomena whose principles and how to act ignorant, and others fraud orchestrated by impostors to take share of the economic and deceive ignorant and superstitious. Thus writes:
"Miracles have been invented only to teach men to believe impossible things: if you speak with common sense, no need of miracles [...] The miracles do not prove anything except the wit and deception of those who seek to deceive men to confirm the lies that have been announced and the stupid credulity of those to whom these impostors seduce [...] Every man who does not seek to establish true miracles but lies [...] To say that God makes miracles is that it contradicts itself itself, which is unbecoming of the laws he himself has prescribed nature and human reason becomes useless, which he authored. Only impostors can tell us to renounce and reject the right experience. "
And among those impostors, we find the priests
"The priests of all religions have found means to build their own power, wealth and greatness in the fears of the masses but no religion has had as many reasons as Christianity to enslave the peoples of the clergy [...] The priests everywhere to impose sovereign force policy to conform to the religion and oppose the institutions most favorable to the State . Everywhere are the instructors of youth, which filled from his sad childhood prejudices [...] No wonder: the religion of Rome was invented only to make the powerful clergy. "
Holbach concludes that Christianity is bad for men, it is because of bigotry, ignorance, strife, persecution, war, massacres ... It has done nothing to boost the morale of the men, because their ranks are people too some virtuous, especially among the priestly caste, as given to vice and tyranny. "If the Christian religion is, as intended, a brake for the unspeakable crimes of men and exerts salutary effects on certain individuals, are comparable these advantages so strange, weak and uncertain with the evils visible, safe and vast that this religion has sown on earth? " he asks.
SYSTEM OF NATURE
atheistic materialism blossomed with this exceptional work, whose first pages Holbach and thus addresses his readers:
"kid yourself, then, child of Nature!, about these fictional relationships that exist between you and assumes that unknown power that ignorance has created and the enthusiasm has been covered a thousand qualities incompatible. Be reasonable: this is your religion. Be virtuous: this is the path to happiness. Become useful to others: this is the means to oblige and encourage them to endorse your plans. Do not dañes yourself, here's what another one is due to be reasonable. "
supernatural morality contradicts the natural moral. You can not build a sound moral if we abandon reason and resort to theological fictions. Morality defended by religion, or morality of the gods, never contributes to the happiness of men, but that makes unhappy and miserable. That is enough highlighted in nature System: "Men have been victims for too long and uncertain moral toys that teach religion [...] The moral is not supernatural at all under the Nature: the battle, you kill it, forces her to wipe out the terrible voice of the gods [...] Arm yourself because, O man, of a just distrust of those who oppose the progress of reason or hint you that consideration can be damaged, that lying is necessary, that the error may be useful. All prohibiting the review intends to deceive. "
The reason, he always had the experience to guide us to distinguish the true from the false, the useful from the harmful, warns us of the religious frauds and illusions of superstition, and makes us eradicate the fears and prejudices acquired during childhood.
On this, Holbach warns:
"It is ignorance of nature that has produced these unknown powers under which mankind so long trembled and superstitious cults that have been the source of all ills [...] It is also not study nature and its laws, or attempt to discover their resources and their properties so that man stagnates in ignorance and take steps so slow and uncertain, to improve their lot. His laziness is pleased to be led by example, by routine or authority, rather than by activity and experience required for the reason that requires reflection. "
Religious faith does not humble man, but arrogant and conceited as to believe that he is the king of creation and that is the image and likeness of God. Moreover, man of faith seeks to be touched by divine grace and be possessed of an immortal soul. Atheism deconstructs such fallacies and reminds us how insignificant we are on a cosmic scale. This forceful expressed Holbach:
"Man, infinitely small portion of the globe, which is more than an imperceptible point in the vastness, believes the universe is made for him and he imagines to be the confidant of Nature. Claims to be eternal. It says the King of the Universe! Oh man! Do not ever conceive that you are not more than one being ephemeral? Any change in the universe, nature does not contain any form consistent and you pretend that your kind can not disappear and should be exempt from the general law that requires all altered! [...] The man has absolutely no reason to believe a privileged being in nature, is subject to the same vicissitudes as all other products of nature. Its alleged privileges are not based only on a mistake. "
To Holbach, is necessary for man to be instructed and fight against ignorance and superstition, to avoid errors and allay their fears:
"The more ignorant or devoid of experience is man, more is likely to terror, the loneliness, the darkness of the woods, the silence and darkness of the night, the whistling of the winds, sudden noises and confusing for all men are not accustomed to all these things objects terror. The ignorant man is a child to whom all surprised and shakes. Their concerns go away, quiet as you experience more or less familiar with the effects of nature calms known or believed about the causes that act and is known as the means to protect their [...] Its ignorance and superstitious weakness do. "
As for the idea that religions convey to us from God, are God Almighty and merciful God who watches lovingly as his creatures and always work with supreme justice and wisdom, Holbach reflects common sense and offers her opinion:
"When terrible disasters, floods, earthquakes, devastating much of the globe where I live, where is the goodness of this God, where is this beautiful order that his wisdom has put in the universe? How to discern evidence of their benevolent providence when everything seems to assert that mocks the human species? What to think of the tenderness of God who afflicts us, that we tested, which is pleased to grieve for their children? [...] If God surpasses in goodness to all beings of the human species, why not use your infinite power to make everyone happy? However, we see that almost no one on earth has a reason to be satisfied with their lot: for every mortal has seen millions who suffer, for every rich man who lives in abundance there are millions of poor people who lack necessities. In short, under an almighty God, whose goodness is limitless, the land is entirely watered by the tears of the miserable. What answer is given to this? Coldly tells us that the Lord's mysterious ways. In this case, I would say, "by what right are you going to argue? And what would you ascribe a virtue that can not penetrate? What you have idea of \u200b\u200ba justice that does not look anything like the man? ".
God is a figment of our imagination. No is more than an illusion to which we have adorned with superhuman attributes (which are nothing more than our own attributes, but increased or exaggerated ad infinitum). Naively believe that an idea is inherent in our being, but in reality we inherited culturally Siendones transmitted from our earliest childhood, to be strengthened then by tradition. A universal error has been perpetuated for millennia. Formerly, such an idea was intended to allay the fear and uncertainty that loomed over the man, whose lack of answers to many mysteries around him pushed him to seek explanations on alleged irrational invisible forces. He believed that the deity caused all that ignorant. Furthermore, in the misery and despair, man today is finding solace in the transcendent and therefore resorts to God, just as the child seeks protection in the arms of their parents. What does Holbach on this issue?:
"The notions of divinity that we see scattered across the land does not prove the existence of this being, not just a misconception, variously acquired and modified in the spirit of nations, they have received from their ancestors ignorant and frightened the gods worship today. These gods have been successively altered, ornamented, subtilized by thinkers, legislators, priests, inspired who have thought, have required their services to the masses and have taken advantage of their prejudices for submission to its rule or to profit from their mistakes, their fears and credulity. "
And, to crown, another review of our illustrious baron who subscribe in full:
"These are ideas that have made gloomy on earth sprout all religions, all superstitions more crazy and cruel, senseless all practices, all absurd systems, all notions and extravagant opinions, all mysteries, dogmas, ceremonies, rituals, in short, all religions have been and will always be the eternal source of alarm, discord and delusion for dreamers full of bile or intoxicated with divine wrath, whose splenetic humor inclined to evil, as imagination leans lost to fanaticism, ignorance of which prepares them for gullibility and subjects them blindly to their priests, and they in their own interests, will often use their God to arouse savage crimes and lead them away to others the rest of which are themselves deprived. "
herein is only a brief summary of atheistic thought one of the great figures of the Enlightenment, despite a lack of acknowledgment of historiography (as also with two other great French materialist philosophers: La Mettrie and Helvetius). In short, I recommend reading these two of his works. On the website of the publisher Laetoli may find the relevant information:
http://www.laetoli.net/colecciones/ilustrados/index.html
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---- [1] As the philosopher Eduardo Bello in his The Adventure of Reason: the Enlightenment (Akal, 1997), "the Enlightenment is only the time when the light of reason has dispelled the shadows of superstition, error, ignorance, and has built in its place an alternative way of thinking we call 'Enlightenment thought'. "
[2] clarify that when we speak of 'materialistic thinking' we do from a philosophical standpoint. The first to introduce the term 'materialist' was Robert Boyle (1627-1691) and referred to "the philosophy that reality is composed of corpuscles which have mechanical properties and performance affect each other according to mechanical laws mathematically expressible " ( Dictionary of Philosophy , José Ferrater Mora). So nothing to do with the popular and pejorative idea we have of materialism as a way of life based on material interests.
[3] Edit. Anagram, 2006.
[4] Deism is a rational belief in a supreme being created the universe but that does not interfere in the natural and historical. He is the god of philosophy, as opposed to the God of revealed religion (theism).
[5] Edit. Edaf, 2003.
[6] Pantheism is the doctrine that nature with God. Therefore, God would be the world. It is famous formula 'Deus sive natura' (God or nature) of Spinoza, one of the greatest exponents of this philosophical.
[7] Both works have been published in Castilian in Laetoli, in the collection The Illustrated .
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