Refutation of Helvétius

Book excerpt: A new translation of Denis Diderot's 1758 Refutation of Helvétius (Réfutation d’Helvétius) where he comments on Helvetius' book On the Mind. This edition contains an afterword by the translator on Diderot's philosophy, a timeline of his life and works, and a glossary of the philosophic topics which recur in his works. Diderot's "Refutation of Helvétius" is a critique of the philosopher Claude Adrien Helvétius' work "On the Mind." Diderot challenges Helvétius' reductionist view of human nature, arguing that the mind is not solely determined by pleasure and pain but encompasses a wider range of faculties and motivations. Diderot's refutation highlights his own philosophical stance on the complexity and richness of human psychology. Although Helvétius' work had sparked significant controversy, Diderot's critique played a role in the ongoing debates surrounding determinism and free will during the Enlightenment.