The System of Nature, Volume 2   By: Paul Henri Thiry Holbach (1723-1789)

THE SYSTEM OF NATURE;

or,

THE LAWS of the MORAL AND PHYSICAL WORLD.

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL FRENCH OF M. DE MIRABAUD

VOL. II.

CONTENTS

PART II. Of the Divinity. Proofs of his existence. Of his attributes. Of his influence over the happiness of man.

CHAP. I. The origin of man's ideas upon the Divinity.

CHAP. II. Of mythology. Of theology

CHAP. III. Of the confused and contradictory ideas of theology.

CHAP. IV. Examination of the proofs of the existence of the Divinity, as given by Clarke.

CHAP. V. Examination of the proofs offered by Descartes, Malebranche, Newton, &c.

CHAP. VI. Of Pantheism; or of the natural ideas of the Divinity.

CHAP. VII. Of Theism Of the System of Optimism Of Final Causes

CHAP. VIII. Examination of the Advantages which result from Man's Notions on the Divinity; of their Influence upon Morals; upon Politics; upon Science; upon the Happiness of Nations, and that of individuals.

CHAP. IX. Theological Notions cannot be the Basis of Morality. Comparison between Theological Ethics and Natural Morality Theology prejudicial to the Human Mind.

CHAP. X. Man can form no Conclusion from the Ideas which are offered him of the Divinity. Of their want of just Inference. Of the Inutility of his Conduct.

CHAP. XI Defence of the Sentiments contained in this Work. Of Impiety. Do there exist Atheists?

CHAP. XII. Is what is termed Atheism, compatible with Morality?

CHAP. XIII. Of the motives which lead to what is falsely called Atheism. Can this System be dangerous? Can it be embraced by the Illiterate?

CHAP. XIV. A summary of the Code of Nature.

A Brief Sketch of the Life and Writings of M. de Mirabaud

MIRABAUD'S SYSTEM OF NATURE

Translated from the Original BY SAMUEL WILKINSON

PART II.

ON THE DIVINITY: PROOFS OF HIS EXISTENCE: OF HIS ATTRIBUTES: OF HIS INFLUENCE OVER THE HAPPINESS OF MAN.

CHAP. I.

The Origin of Man's Ideas upon the Divinity.

If man possessed the courage, if he had the requisite industry to recur to the source of those opinions which are most deeply engraven on his brain; if he rendered to himself a faithful account of the reasons which make him hold these opinions as sacred; if he coolly examined the basis of his hopes, the foundation of his fears, he would find that it very frequently happens, those objects, or those ideas which move him most powerfully, either have no real existence, or are words devoid of meaning, which terror has conjured up to explain some sudden disaster; that they are often phantoms engendered by a disordered imagination, modified by ignorance; the effect of an ardent mind distracted by contending passions, which prevent him from either reasoning justly, or consulting experience in his judgment; that this mind often labours with a precipitancy that throws his intellectual faculties into confusion; that bewilders his ideas; that consequently he gives a substance and a form to chimeras, to airy nothings, which he afterwards idolizes from sloth, reverences from prejudice.