L'homme-machine : mythe ou métaphore ?

Abstract

La Mettrie's Homme machine is still too often considered as the embodiment of «mechanistic materialism » inspired directly by Descartes. This article demonstrates the error of this interpretation. In particular, the reference to a machine, instead of being an explanatory principle, is shown to function as a metaphor. Similarly, the use of Cartesian animal spirits, present in La Mettrie's first works, is replaced in L'Homme machine by more dynamic metaphors for the workings of the brain, to account for human creativity. Far from constructing a mechanistic model of man, La Mettrie's sole aim is to demonstrate that a dynamic matter can account for all human activity ; he admits ignorance as to the exact workings of this material being.