Reproduction of the original. The publishing house Megali specialises in reproducing historical works in large print to make reading easier for people with impaired vision.

Reproduction of the original. The publishing house Megali specialises in reproducing historical works in large print to make reading easier for people with impaired vision.

Excerpt from The System of Nature, Vol. 1: Or, Laws of the Moral and Physical World Let us then endeavour to disperse those clouds of ignorance, those mists of darkness which impede man on his journey, which obscure his progress, which prevent his marching through life with a firm, with a steady step. Let us try to inspire him with courage - with respect for his reason - with an inextinguishable love for truth-to the end that he may learn to know himself - to know his legitimate rights-that he may learn to consult his experience, and no longer be the dupe of an imagination led astray by authority that he may renounce the prejudices of his childhood - that he may learn to found_his morals on his nature, on his wants, on the real advantage of society - that he may dare to love himself - that he may learn to pursue his true happiness by promoting that of others-fin short, that he may no longer occupy himself with reveries either use less or dangerous - that he may become a virtuous, a rational being, in which case he cannot fail to, become happy. If he must have his chimeras, let him at least learn to permit others to form theirs after their own fashion since nothing can be more im material than the manner of men's thinking on subjects not accessible to reason, provided those thoughts be not suffered to imbody them selves into actions injurious to others above all; let him be fully per sueded that it is of the utmost importance to the inhabitants of this world to be just, kind, and peaceable. Far from injuring the cause of virtue, an impartial examination of the principles of this work will Show that its Object is to restore truth to its proper temple, to build up an altar whose foundations shall be consolidated by morality, reason, and justice from this sacred fane, virtue guarded by truth, clothed with experience, Shall shed forth her radiance on delighted mortals; whose homage owing consecutively Shall open to the world a new era, by rendering genera the belief that happiness, the true end of man's existence, can never be attained but BY promoting that OF his fellow creature. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

According to dHolbach, nature is a great chain of causes and effects. Nature is the great whole, comprising everything visible and invisible. Baron d Holbach gives the laws of the physical world based on laws of motion and gravitation, as given by Newton, and he wants to apply the law of attraction and repulsion in the field of morality. All knowledge comes through the sense organs created by the impressions of the world and deposited in the brain, which is the real seat of thought. Man searches for happiness in this world, but the priesthood misguides the people by asking them to look for happiness in future life, as guided by the chimeras of religion. Man living in society should be guided by reason, experience, and sciences by working for his happiness and contributing to the happiness of other members of the society by his hard work, talent, and virtues, by being useful to others by satisfying their needs while satisfying his own needs. Happiness is on this earth, and by reason and experience, he can be happy, and not as the priesthood preaches in another future life.