Claude Adrian Helvetius was a materialist philosopher and French writer. His main works reveal the factors that shape a person. His books have contributed to the development of pedagogy.
Who was the philosopher before his transformation? What happened to one of his main creations? What were the views of the French enlightener, including in the pedagogical sphere? This can be found in the article.
Biography briefly
Claude Adrian Helvetius (date of birth 01.31.1715) was born in Paris. His father was a court physician. The family could provide his son with an education, so he studied at Louis the Great College. There, he felt an aversion to scholasticism, which remained with him until the end of his life.
He was prepared for the work of a financial employee. He even served as an assistant to his uncle, who was a tax collector in Caen. At the age of twenty-three, Claude Adrian Helvetius, whose photo is presented only in the form of a picture, received the position of tax collector. His father took care of this. He became a wealthy Parisian.
In 1751, Claude married Anna Catherine and resigned as general distributor. The family spent time in the chateau of Thieves, as well as in their own mansion in Paris. In the capital of France, the philosopher spoke with Didro, Holbach, Montesquieu, Voltaire. His salon was famous for the fact that in this place you could freely express your thoughts.
With thirty-six years, Claude decided to devote himself to scientific and literary works. During his life, the philosopher visited England (1764) and Prussia (1765). During his lifetime, his main works were condemned by the Catholic Church and banned. In France, the complete works will be released only in 1818.
Helvetius died on 12/26/1771 in Paris, suffering for a long time with a severe form of gout. Before his death, he abandoned his reconciliation with the church.
Philosopher's views
The works of the enlightener influenced the famous thinkers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Claude Adrian Helvetius had the following views:
- the world is endless and material;
- matter moves all the time;
- thinking is a property of matter;
- rejected the idea of ​​the divine origin of the world;
- believed that self-love is the main impulse of all human actions;
- a decisive role in the formation of personality is played by the environment;
- advocated enlightened absolutism without feudal relations.
Proceedings
Claude Adrian Helvetius very closely communicated with Voltaire. However, he did not agree with all the ideas of the great contemporary. For example, in the field of politics and philosophy, Claude took a more radical position.
One of the first literary works was The Message of the Love of Knowledge, which he wrote in 1738. In it, the author praises the love of the mind, which has unlimited creative possibilities.
In the same year, the “Message of Pleasure” was published. In it, the author expresses thoughts about the correct combination of personal interest with the public. He also condemns feudal property.
In 1740, the “Message on the arrogance and laziness of the mind” was published, in which the author criticizes the religious worldview. Mocking the idea of ​​a creator god, he compares it to a spider creating a material world from its substance.
From 1741 to 1751, the philosopher worked on the poem Happiness, which the world saw only after the death of the French genius. In the work, he rejected the understanding of happiness, which was inspired by the feudal estate. He was also against an ascetic attitude towards life. He believed that knowledge could lead to happiness. Although this idea was not at all innovative and original.
“About the mind” (1758)
Claude Adrian Helvetius, whose biography is associated with the great enlighteners of France, created a work that was destined to become one of the significant creations of French materialism.
The book came out with the approval of the censor, but after the attack on the author by the defenders of the old life began. The tone of many articles was so menacing that the author even thought about leaving the country. In the end, he renounced his book, which was anathematized and burned.
“About Man” (1769)
A few years after the scandal with difficulty "On the mind", Claude Adrian Helvetius began work on the next book, which became no less famous. Initially, he wanted to publish a new work under a pseudonym. So did many enlighteners of that time. He later decided that it would be safer to postpone the publication until his death.
Both books revealed the main ideas of the philosopher and made a great contribution to the development of pedagogical thought.
Contribution to the history of pedagogy
Claude Adrian Helvetius, whose pedagogical ideas were innovative, first revealed the factors that shape a person. The most important of them he called the influence of the environment. According to him, a person is a product of circumstances and education. At the same time, he mistakenly perceived education as a means to reorganize public life.
The single goal of education for all, he considered the pursuit of the welfare of society. He argued that upbringing is omnipotent, but he did not accept the individual differences of each child.
Being an opponent of the scholasticism, which he had heard enough at a Jesuit college, Helvetius demanded that social education be secular. He was also against the dominance of Latin in schools.
The subjects that should have been studied in schools, the philosopher considered:
- native language;
- a story;
- politics;
- morality;
- poetry.
In this case, the training should have been visual and built on the personal experience of the student. He advocated equal rights in education for men and women. Enlightened people should have been teachers. He insisted that they be provided financially and be surrounded by universal respect in society.