Helvétius

American  

[hel-vee-shuhs, el-vey-syys] / hɛlˈvi ʃəs, ɛl veɪˈsjüs /

noun

1. Claude Adrien 1715–71, French philosopher.

---

Helvétius British  

/ hɛlˈviːʃɪəs, ɛlvesjys /

noun

1. Claude Adrien (klod adriɛ̃). 1715–71, French philosopher. In his chief work De l'Esprit (1758), he asserted that the mainspring of human action is self-interest and that differences in human intellects are due only to differences in education

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Helvétius

“I disapprove of what you say,” he is said to have written to the philosopher Claude Helvétius, “but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

From Time ● May 5, 2015

Three members of this school have importance in literature—La Mettrie, Helvétius, and Holbach.

From A Short History of French Literature by George Saintsbury

Self-interest is more satisfactory, but even the demonstration given by Helvétius is not perfectly convincing.

From Thomas Jefferson The Apostle of Americanism by Gilbert Chinard

"You do not ask me then," I said, "anything about your dear amie, Madame Helvétius; yet she loves you still exceedingly, and I was at her home only an hour ago."

From Benjamin Franklin; Self-Revealed, Volume I (of 2) A Biographical and Critical Study Based Mainly on his own Writings by Wiliam Cabell Bruce

Godwin might have quoted Helvétius: "It is with genius as with an astronomer; he sees a new star and forthwith all can see it."

From Shelley, Godwin and Their Circle by Henry Noel Brailsford