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The Philosopher Who Was Killed By His Own Ideas
In 1748, French physician and philosopher Julien Offray de La Mettrie wrote his famous "Discours sur le bonheur," which appalled leading Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire, Diderot and D'Holbach due to its explicitly hedonistic sensualist principles, which prioritised the unbridled pursuit of pleasure above all other things.Little did he know it would lead to his own death in 1751. The French ambassador to Prussia, Tirconnel, grateful to La Mettrie for curing him of an illness, held a feast in his honour. It was claimed that La Mettrie wanted to show either his power of gluttony or his strong constitution by devouring a large quantity of pâte de faisan aux truffes. As a result, he developed a gastronomic illness of some sort, became delirious, and died. His philosophical adversaries couldn't wait to suggested how his own death had contradicted his theoretical doctrine with the effect of his practical actions. |
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