Holbach

Paul-Henri Thiry, baron d'Holbach (1723–1789), was a German-born French philosopher, writer, and central figure of the French Enlightenment. Born in Edesheim in the Palatinate, he settled in Paris and became a prominent organizer of intellectual life, hosting one of the era’s best-known salons and supporting scientific and literary projects.

Holbach is best known for his ardent advocacy of naturalism and atheism. In The System of Nature (Le Système de la Nature), published in 1770, he argues that the universe consists solely of matter in motion, governed by immutable laws. Miracles, providence, and the immaterial soul are rejected, and morality is explained in terms of social utility and human sentiment rather than divine command. The System was influential in promoting radical materialism and atheism within Enlightenment circles and faced strong religious opposition.

Beyond his own writings, Holbach helped fund and shape the Encyclopédie and used his salons to bring together leading philosophers such as Denis Diderot and others to discuss science, religion, and politics. His circle challenged established church authority and promoted secular criticism of religion, monarchy, and superstition.

Holbach’s work contributed to the spread of secular and liberal ideas in late 18th-century France. He remains a controversial figure for his insistence on naturalistic explanations of life and society, but his role as a conduit for radical Enlightenment thought is widely acknowledged. He died in Paris in 1789.