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Man a Machine
Paperback
ISBN13: 9781025821719
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 150
Weight: 0.48
Height: 0.32 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Man a Machine is a seminal work of Enlightenment philosophy that presents a provocative and revolutionary materialist view of human existence. Written by the physician and philosopher Julien Offray de La Mettrie, this treatise boldly challenges the traditional Cartesian dualism that separates the mind from the body. Instead, La Mettrie argues that human beings are complex, self-acting machines whose mental faculties are entirely dependent on the physical organization and organic functioning of the brain and body.
Drawing upon observations from medicine and physiology, the work explores the intricate relationship between physical states and mental processes, suggesting that even the most elevated human thoughts and emotions have a biological basis. By stripping away mystical and supernatural explanations for human consciousness, Man a Machine helped lay the conceptual groundwork for modern neuroscience and evolutionary psychology. This rejection of the soul as a distinct, non-material entity made the work highly controversial upon its release, yet it remains a foundational text for understanding the development of secular thought. Readers interested in the history of philosophy, the nature of consciousness, and the intersection of science and ethics will find this work an essential exploration of the human condition within a purely physical universe.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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La Mettrie, Julien Offray De
Man a Machine. Translated From the French of the Marquiss D'Argens
La Mettrie, Julien Offray De
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Man a Machine. Wherein the Several Systems of Philosophers, in Respect to the Soul of man, are Examin'd; ... Translated From the French of Mons. de la
La Mettrie, Julien Offray De
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Histoire naturelle de l'ame, traduite de l'anglois de M. Charp, par feu M. H*** de l'AcadÃ(c)mie des Sciences, &c. Nouvelle Ã(c)dition revue fort exac
La Mettrie, Julien Offray De
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Histoire naturelle de l'ame, traduite de l'anglois de M. Charp, par feu M. H*** de l'AcadÃ(c)mie des Sciences, &c. Nouvelle Ã(c)dition revue fort exac
La Mettrie, Julien Offray De
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Système d'Épicure: La quête du bonheur à travers la raison et le plaisir
La Mettrie, Julien Offray De
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Man a machine. Wherein the several systems of philosophers, in respect to the soul of man, are examin'd; ... Translated from the French of Mons. de la
La Mettrie, Julien Offray De
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