The wealthy host who served dinner to the most dangerous atheists in Paris

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Baron d'Holbach was the Enlightenment's most radical materialist, yet he lived as a wealthy, generous aristocrat. His Parisian salon was a sanctuary for the era's greatest minds, where he hosted secret debates that dismantled religion and laid the groundwork for modern atheism, all while feeding his guests fine wine.

Born in 1723, Paul Thiry, Baron d'Holbach, was a central figure of the French Enlightenment. Despite his German origins, he became a fixture of Parisian intellectual life, using his vast inheritance to maintain a lavish salon on rue Royale. Between 1751 and 1765, he contributed roughly 400 articles to the Encyclopédie, primarily focusing on scientific subjects like chemistry and mineralogy, while also translating German natural philosophy into French.

D'Holbach is best remembered for his aggressive, anonymous critiques of religion. In his 1770 masterpiece, The System of Nature, he argued that the universe was governed solely by matter in motion and natural laws, rendering supernatural explanations unnecessary. This work, which some scholars suggest may have been influenced by his close friend Denis Diderot, was so provocative that it drew formal refutations from figures as diverse as the theologian Nicolas-Sylvestre Bergier, Voltaire, and Frederick the Great.

Beyond his atheism, d'Holbach was a nuanced political and economic thinker. He advocated for laissez-faire economics, arguing that the state should protect commerce but otherwise leave merchants alone. He was also a critic of hereditary aristocracy and luxury, believing that wealth should be earned through labor. Though he warned against the chaos of revolution, his ideas on materialism and morality left a profound mark on future thinkers, including Immanuel Kant and potentially Karl Marx, cementing his legacy as a foundational, if controversial, architect of modern secular thought.

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