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René Descartes turned out to be the founder of the different
methodological program. In his works “Rules for the Direction of the
Mind” and “Discourse on the Method” he formulated rationalistic and

deductive approach to cognition and proved, that absolutely authentic
axioms of knowledge are embodied by the mind (intellect). John Locke,
who criticizes the doctrines of Descartes for his ideas, considers the

experience, which is mediated by the activity of our organs of sensation,
to be the main source of our cognition.
The most prominent representatives of the 18th century in the
sphere of searching the new paradigm of thinking were Sh. Lamerti

(1709-1751), D. Diderot (1713-1784), K. Helvecij (1715-1771), P.
Holbach (1723-1789). All these thinkers were much more successive
materialists than their predecessors in the 17th century. Giving up such

compromise forms as deism and panteism, they criticized the subjective
idealism and stuck to the position of sensualism. The main slogan of
these scientists was the statement: “A human being is the product of
outer circumstances”, that leads to the ideas of the necessity for

changing the social conditions in the field of freedom and mind. It’s
known that French materialists didn’t only propagated the
Enlightenment and free-thinking, but spread the scientific views of that

time. Well, with the assistance of Diderot “Encyclopedia” and some
similar books were first published, and Holbach created “Christianity
Unmasked” and “Pocket theology”.

G. Lamerti (1709 – 1751) formed his understanding of a human
being on the basis of mechanical approach, according to which a human
body appears to be a machine, which itself makes it move, it`s alive

personification of continuous movement. The students should analyze
the differences between a human being and an animal, which are
underlined by Lamerti, give their own estimation of the statements,
described in the treatise “A man is a machine”.

K. Gelvezij (1715 – 1777) left the example of recommendations
concerning the social and political analysis of human behavior.
According to the principle of subordination to “the law of interests”,

natural physical needs (hunger and physical pain) and passion (as self –
esteem) can be understood as human behavior. Studying the treatise
“About a human being” it should be taken into consideration that the
desire to achieve the coordination between individual and state became

very important in modern philosophy. In this case Gelvezij idealizes the
interests of bourgeoisie, the form of a state as a republic and its citizens

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