Julien Offray De La Mettrie

Carnal Philosophy: Ethics, Aesthetics, and Erotics Julien Offray De La Mettrie

In this fifth collection of La Mettrie's writings, he takes on erotics ("Voluptuousness" and two shorter texts), aesthetics or art ("Essays on Intellect and Fine Minds"), and ethics and religion (selections from "Ouvrage de Pénélope"). La Mettrie was a bold proponent of freedom of thought, no matter what the consequences. Here he offers a hedonistic or pleasure-based program for human happiness and fulfillment, which is also a rigorous ethical system, requiring high standards of conduct, intelligence, and achievement. Each of these texts is unabridged and presented here in their first-ever English translations."Essays on Intellect and Fine Minds"Dedication of 'Man Is a Machine'Dedication of 'The Art of Enjoyment'"Voluptuousness"Sections on ethics and religion from 'Ouvrage de Pénélope'