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Paul Henry Thiry, baron d'Holbach ( 1723 - 1789 ) was an Homme De Lettres , Philosopher and Encyclopedist . He was born '''Paul Heinrich Dietrich''' in Edesheim , Germany . D'Holbach's mother (née Holbach) was the daughter of the Prince-Bishop's tax collector. His father, Johann Jakob Thiry, was a Wine -grower. The young Paul Henry's studies were financed by his uncle, Franz Adam Holbach, who had become a millionaire by speculating on the Paris stock-exchange. After inheriting two large fortunes the still young d'Holbach became very wealthy and would remain so for life. D'Holbach had one of the more notable , David Hume , Horace Walpole , Edward Gibbon , amongst others. D'Holbach was owner of Heeze Castle , situated in the Duchy of Brabant , actually in the Netherlands. For the ''Encyclopédie'' he authored and translated a large number of articles on topics such as politics, religion, chemistry and mineralogy. The translations he contributed were chiefly from German sources. He was better known, however, for his philosophical writings. These writings expressed a materialistic and atheistic position. His work is today categorised into the philosophical movement called " French Materialism ". In 1767 ''Christianity unveiled'' (''Christianisme dévoilé'') appeared, in which he attacked Christianity and religion as counter to the moral advancement of humanity. This was followed up by other works, and in 1770 by a still more open attack in his most famous book, The System Of Nature (''Le Système de la nature''). Denying the existence of a . ''Le Système de la nature'' presented a core of radical ideas which many contemporaries found disturbing, thus prompting a strong reaction. The Catholic Church In France threatened the Crown with a withdrawal of financial support unless it effectively suppressed the circulation of the book. The list of people writing refutations of the work was long. The Roman Catholic Church had its pre-eminent Theologian Nicolas-Sylvestre Bergier write a refutation of the ''Système'' titled ''Examen du matérialisme'' (''Materialism examined''). Voltaire hastily seized his pen to refute the philosophy of the ''Système'' in the article "Dieu" in his ''Dictionnaire philosophique'', while Frederick The Great also drew up an answer to it. Its principles are summed up in a more popular form in ''Bon Sens, on idées naturelles opposees aux idées surnaturelles'' (Amsterdam, 1772), In the ''Système social'' (1773), the ''Politique naturelle'' (1773-1774) and the ''Morale universelle'' (1776) Holbach attempts to describe a system of morality in place of the one he had so fiercely attacked, but these later writings were not as popular or influential as his earlier work. Due to a fear of persecution, he published his books either anonymously or under pseudonyms. Additionally, the books were published outside of France, usually in Amsterdam . D'Holbach was strongly critical of abuses of power in France and abroad. Contrary to the revolutionary spirit of the time however, he called for the educated classes to reform the corrupt system of government and warned against revolution, democracy, and "mob rule". It is thought that the virtuous atheist Wolmar in Jean-Jacques Rousseau 's '' Julie, Ou La Nouvelle Héloïse '' is based on d'Holbach. Many of the main points in d'Holbach's philosophy have now found increasing resonance among the scientifically literate. __NOTOC__ BIBLIOGRAPHY
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