Quotes from book
Man a Machine

Man a Machine
Julien Offray de La Mettrie Original title L'Homme Machine (French)

Man a Machine is a work of materialist philosophy by the 18th-century French physician and philosopher Julien Offray de La Mettrie, first published in 1747. In this work, de La Mettrie extends Descartes' argument that animals are mere automatons, or machines, to human beings. He denies existence of the soul as a substance separate from matter:

Julien Offray de La Mettrie photo

“As a violin string or a harpsichord key vibrates and gives forth sound, so the cerebral fibres, struck by waves of sound, are stimulated to render or repeat the words that strike them.”

Julien Offray de La Mettrie book Man a Machine

p, 125
Man a Machine (1747)

Julien Offray de La Mettrie photo

“The mind, like the body, has its contagious diseases and its scurvy. …[W]e catch everything from those with whom we come in contact; their gestures, their accent, etc.”

Julien Offray de La Mettrie book Man a Machine

Man a Machine (1747)

Julien Offray de La Mettrie photo

“Whatever the virtue may be, from whatever source it may come, it is worthy of esteem… Mind, beauty, wealth, nobility, although the children of chance, all have their own value, as skill, learning and virtue have theirs.”

Julien Offray de La Mettrie book Man a Machine

p, 125
Man a Machine (1747)

Julien Offray de La Mettrie photo

“[E]ither everything is illusion, nature as well as revelation, or experience alone can explain faith.”

Julien Offray de La Mettrie book Man a Machine

p, 125
Man a Machine (1747)

Julien Offray de La Mettrie photo

“[I]magination is the soul, since it plays all the roles of the soul.”

Julien Offray de La Mettrie book Man a Machine

p, 125
Man a Machine (1747)

Julien Offray de La Mettrie photo

“Let us… take in our hands the staff of experience… To be blind and to think that one can do without this staff is the worst kind of blindness.”

Julien Offray de La Mettrie book Man a Machine

Man a Machine (1747), p. 89

Julien Offray de La Mettrie photo

“It is not enough for a wise man to study nature and truth; he should dare state truth for the benefit of the few who are willing and able to think.”

Julien Offray de La Mettrie book Man a Machine

Man a Machine (1747), p. 85

Julien Offray de La Mettrie photo

“Among animals, some learn to speak and sing; they remember tunes, and strike the notes as exactly as a musician. Others, for instance the ape, show more intelligence… would it be absolutely impossible to teach the ape a language? I do not think so.”

Julien Offray de La Mettrie book Man a Machine

Man a Machine (1747)
Context: Among animals, some learn to speak and sing; they remember tunes, and strike the notes as exactly as a musician. Others, for instance the ape, show more intelligence... would it be absolutely impossible to teach the ape a language? I do not think so.<!--pp.100-102