​

Parke. Sculpt.


M. De Mirabaud.


Published by R. Holder Duke Street, West Smithfield.

​

THE

SYSTEM OF NATURE;

OR,

THE LAWS

OF THE

MORAL AND PHYSICAL WORLD.


TRANSLATED

FROM THE ORIGINAL FRENCH OF

M. DE MIRABAUD.


IN THREE VOLUMES.


LONDON:
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY THOMAS DAVISON,
Duke Street, West Smithfield;

AND SOLD BY ALL OTHER BOOKSELLERS.


1820.

​

CONTENTS

OF THE

FIRST VOLUME.



​
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 Page v.
PART I.
Laws of Nature.—Of man.—The faculties of the soul.—Doctrine of immortality.—On happiness
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 1
CHAP I.
Nature and her laws
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 ib.
CHAP II.
Of motion and its origin
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 15
CHAP III.
Of matter—of its various combinations—of its diversified motion—or of the course of Nature
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 35
CHAP IV.
Laws of motion common to every being of Nature—attraction and repulsion—inert force—necessity
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 44
CHAP V.
Order and confusion—intelligence—chance
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 61
CHAP VI.
Moral and physical distinctions of man—his origin
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 77
CHAP VII.
The soul and the spiritual system
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 98
CHAP VIII.
The intellectual faculties derived from the faculty of feeling
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 115
CHAP IX.
The diversity of the intellectual faculties; they depend on physical causes, as do their moral qualities.—The natural principles of society—morals—politics
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 132
CHAP X.
The soul does not derive its ideas from itself—it has no innate ideas
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 176
CHAP XI.
Of the system of man's free-agency
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 209
CHAP XII.
An examination of the opinion which pretends that the system of fatalism is dangerous
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 249
CHAP XIII.
Of the immortality of the soul—of the doctrine of a future state—of the fear of death
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 287
CHAP XIV.
Education, morals, and the laws suffice to restrain man—of the desire of immortality—of suicide
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 325

​

CONTENTS

OF THE

SECOND VOLUME.



​|colspan=3 style="text-align:center"|


Page
Page
PART I.
Laws of Nature.—Of man.—The faculties of the soul.—Doctrine of immortality.—On happiness
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 1
CHAP XV.
Of man's true interest, or of the ideas he forms to himself of happiness.—Man cannot be happy without virtue.
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 ib.
CHAP XVI.
The errors of man.—Upon what constitutes happiness.—The true source of his evils.—Remedies that may be applied
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 32
CHAP XVII.
Those ideas which are true, or founded upon Nature, are the only remedies for the evil of man.—Recapitulation—Conclusion of the First Part.
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 58
PART II.
On the Divinity.—Proofs of his existence.—Of his attributes.—Of his influence over the happiness of man
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 81
CHAP I.
The origin of man's ideas upon the Divinity
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 ib.
Of mythology.—Of theology
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 117
CHAP III.
Of the confused and contradictory ideas of theology
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 151
CHAP IV.
Examination of the proofs of the existence of the Divinity, as given by Clarke
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 187
CHAP V.
Examination of the proofs offered by Descartes, Malebranche, Newton, &c.
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 243
CHAP VI.
Of Pantheism; or of the natural ideas of the Divinity
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 283

​

CONTENTS

OF THE

THIRD VOLUME.



Page.
Page.
PART II.
On the Divinity.—Proofs of his Existence—Of his Attributes—Of his Influence over the Happiness of Man
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 5
CHAP VII.
Of Theism—Of the System of Optimism—Of Final Causes
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 ib.
CHAP VIII.
Examination of the Advantages which result from Man's Notions on the Divinity;—of their Influence upon Morals;—upon Politics;—upon Science;—upon the Happiness of Nations, and that of Individuals
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 45
CHAP IX.
Theological Notions cannot be the Basis of Morality.—Comparison between Theological Ethics and Natural Morality.—Theology prejudicial to the Human Mind
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 85
CHAP X.
Man can form no Conclusion from the Ideas which are offered him of the Divinity.—Of their want of just Inference.—Of the Inutility of his Conduct
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 117
CHAP XI.
Defence of the Sentiments contained in this Work.—Of Impiety.—Do there exist Atheists?
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 147
CHAP XII.
Is what is termed, Atheism, compatible with Morality?
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 169
CHAP XIII.
Of the motives which lead to what is falsely called Atheism.—Can this System be dangerous?—Can it be embraced by the Illiterate?
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 193
CHAP XIV.
A summary of the Code of Nature
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 243
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 263

​

ERRATA.

VOL. I.

Page 19, line 30, for "contract" read "contact."—P. 26, 1. 2, dele "off."—The reader is requested to let the following form the commencement of p. 33, as the omission was not discovered till some of the copies were worked off:—"fications; and if so, they cannot have the same mode of moving and acting. Their activity or motion."—P. 74, 1. 29, dele "it."—P. 83, 1. 14, read "when he has described."—P. 93, 1. 16, dele "what."—P. 95, 1. 3, for "Is is not" read "Is it not."—P. 95, 1. 5, for "that it imposssible" read "that it is impossible."— P. 97, 1. 1, dele "woman."—P. 106, 1. 22, for "now" read "new"—P. 117, 1. 14, dele "it."—P. 142, 1. 27, dele "the."—P. 147, 1. 9, for "as it been" read "as it has been."—P. 152, 1. 12, dele "a."—P. 167, 1.3, dele "of."—P. 291, last line, for "ough" read "ought."—P. 337, 1. 3, for "as" read "was."

VOL. II.

Page 16, line 23, for " his enemies" read " its enemies."—P. 52, 1. 20, for " be unhappy" read " be as unhappy."—P. 64, 1. 21, for " viligant" read " vigilant."— P. 66,1. 1 9, /or *' know" lead " known;" and 1. 27, for " rendering" lead " rendered."—P. 123, 1. 2, Jor " is be" read " is to be."— P. 126, 1. 17, for " trates" read " netrates.^'— P. 197, 1. 12, dele " in."— P. 196, 1. 28, dele " by."- P. 207, I. 20, for " has existed" read " which has existed."— P. 218, 1.5, for " knows these" 7ead " knows what these." — P. 220, 1. 10, for " this" read " thus."— P. 223, 1. IS, for " for are" read " for we are."— P. 259, 1. 6, for" flower" read " flour."— P. 263, I. 29, for " pass" read " parts."— P. 269, 1. 20, dele " to."— P. 374, 1, 15, dele " the."—P. 299, 1. 3, read " It is."

VOL. III.

Page 27, line 20, for " able compensate" read " able to compensate."—/ P. 59, 1. 23j ybr " wordly" read " worldly." —P. 69, . 4, for "or" read " nor."—By an accident of the Compositor, in some of No. 7, the pages were transposed, but on returning them to the Publisher, correct copies may be had in lieu of them.— P. 110, 1. 2, dele " that."— P. 124, 1. 19, /«r " insenuous" read " ingenious."—P. 140, 1. 6, for " alwsay" read " always.** P. 143, i. J2, a/ter " barbarity" insert a semicolon.— P. 149, 1. 23, for " does display" read " does not display."—P. 159, 1. 12, read " of disinterestedness."—P. 162, 1. 13, for ingeni-" read " ingenu-"—P. 167, I. 12, for " ingenuous" read " ingenious."—P. 169, last line, for " fero-" 7ead " ferocious."— P. 183, 1. 12, /or " know read " known."— P. 193, 1. 6, for " untelligible" read " unintellible."— P. 253, 1. 24, dele " he is."— P. 235, 1. 26, for " force the matter" read " force of matter."— P. 238, 1. 7, for " thing" read " things."—I*. 343, 1. 16, yor " destroy-" read " destroying," and 1. 20, for " form" read " from."—P. 254, 1. n,for'* it I" read " it is I."


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