Matière, nature, mouvement chez d'Holbach et Toland

Abstract

Matter, nature and movement in d'Holbach and Toland. The first chapters of the Système de la nature, concerning matter and the laws of movement, reflect d'Holbach's reading and recent translation of Toland's Letters to Serena — in particular the idea that movement is essential to matter. But, while Toland means motive force, an attribute of matter as such, d'Holbach is instead referring to the mobility of individual bodies. Also, while matter is for the former a homogeneous substance and the only truly existing one, for the latter it is only a type of being and an abstract being. Thus instead of a single-substance monism he emphasizes the infinite diversity of bodies made up of primary elements taken from the chemistry of Stahl and Rouelle. Finally, while Toland is careful to describe matter in strictly physical and mechanistic terms, d'Holbach emphasizes Nature, which he tends to personify, thus running the risk of bringing back finalism, rejected elsewhere.