HELVE'TIUS, CLAUDE-ADRIEN, was born at Paris in January 1715, and was educated at the Jesuits' College of Louis-le-Grand, where his earlier years were far from betokening those talents of shrewdness and observation which his writings subsequently exhibited. Having passed through a course of legal study, Helvetius was went to his maternal uncle, D'Armancourt, directeur dee fermes at Caen, in order to acquire a practical knowledge of finance, and he shortly afterwards obtained the lucrative appointment of fermier-g6n6ral, through the influence of the queen, Marie Leczinsky, to whom his father was physician ; but disgusted with the oppressive nature of its duties, , which however be discharged with singular lenity, ho resigned this situation, and purchased that of chamberlain to the queen's household. At this period Helvetius led a disorderly life, without having any elevated or moral end in view, though his general conduct was relieved by occasional acts of the noblest generosity. Into these excesses he appears to have been led by an inordinate vanity athirst for universal admiration. Thus, in order to gain the applause of the theatre, he dancel on the public stage in tho mask of Javiller (for masks had not yet boon exploded by Voverre), and his temporary study of mathe matics was stimulated by the honours and attention which were lavished by the highest circles at Paris upon Maupertuis, after his return from a scientific visit to Lapland. Aspiring to rival the dramatic fame of Voltaire, he composed the tragedy Conjuration de Fieeque ; and upon the appearance of Montesquieli'm work, • L'Esprit des Lois,' Helvetia,' declared that he too would raise a monument worthy to stand by the side of that of the philosophical legist. But Helvetius was as kind-hearted as he was vain, and an act of beneficence was as dear to him for its own sake as the applauao which he courted so eagerly. When Saurin the academician married, Helvetius not only made him a free gift of 2001., but also settled upon him an annuity of 801.; and when Marivaux, to whom he allowed a yearly pension of 1201., forgot the decencies of gratitude, lielvetius mildly observed, "Flow would I have answered him if he had not, by accepting my favours, laid me tender an obligation to him I" In 1751 Helvetius married the beautiful and accomplished daughter of the Comte de Ligneville, and niece of Madame do Graffieny, by whom she had been brought up. From this time he lived chiefly in retirement et a small estate at Ver6, enjoying with his wife and children tho pleasures of domestic life, and ameliorating the condition of his tenitnta and vassals. He is said to have been very jealous of the game on se hia estates, and very severe against violators of the game-laws. In 1758 he published the treatise 'De l'Esprit,' which, while it was favourably received by the self-styled philosophical party, was denounced by the court and the Jesuits as dangerous to society and to religion, and as being nothing less thou a summary of all the evil doctrines of the 'Encyclopedia.' A strong passion for praise is usually
accompaoied by a keen sensibility to censure : to regain the favour of the court Helvetius thought no concession too great, and he successively published three letters of apology which gradually advanced in humility and submission. Notwithstanding the confession which they contaiued of a Christian faith, and his disclaimer of all opinions inconsistent with its spirit, the doctors of the Sorbonne drew up a formal con demnation of the work, which they declared to ba a compendium of all the evil contained in all the bad books that had yet appeared. It was publicly burned, according to a decree of the parliament of Paris. As to the literary merits of this work, the style is vicious and declamatory, but the argument is well sustained throughout, and enforced by great felicity and copiousness of illustration. lu 1764 Helvetius visited England, and in the following pier Germany, where he was received by Frederick the Great with marks of the highest consideration and esteem. Helvetius died at Paris on the 26th of December 1771, leaving a work behind him entitled 'De l'Homme, de see Facult6e, et de son Education,' which was published the same year at London by Prince Gallitzin. Among the earliest works of Helvetius is his poem 'Sur le Bonheur,' which, however secondary as a poetical composition, evinces much of that nice observation of men and manners which forms at once the truth and the charm of his philosophical essays. These may be considered to constitute the practical portion of the sensuous system which in this part was left incomplete by Condillac, who confined himself to the exposition and derivation of the coguitivo faculties. By' esprit' lielvetius understood as well the mental faculties as the ideas acquired by them. Both faculties and ideas he reduced to simple sensation, and he accounts for man's superiority over the brutes by the finer organism of his senses and the structure of his hands. Man, he considers, is the work of nature, but his intelligence and virtue are the fruits of education. The and of virtue is happiness, and utility determines the value of all actions, of which those aro virtuous which are generally useful. Utility and inutility are however merely relative, and there ie consequently nothing which is either absolutely good or absolutely evil. The happiness and enlightenment of the people he makes to be the true end of all human government; and, denying a Divine Provideuce in the government of the world, he declares all religion to be a cheat and a prejudice.
VEuvres d'He/vetitis, 3 vols., Paris 1818.)