Pierre Chanet, Polemicist and Philosopher of Instinct and Marin Cureau de la Chambre: The Story of a Dispute

TL;DRAbstract

Pierre Chanet (1603-1660) was a Protestant physician and philosopher from La Rochelle. In his research, he dealt with the problem of thinking among animals. He spoke against the tradition represented by Charon and Montaigne, which  declared that animals think, decide and posses intellect. He contrasted that with his concept of instinct. He understood the instinct as God's action and defined it as “a direction of the first cause which carries and brings all secondary causes to their end, when they have no rational faculties to do so.” Martin Cureau de la Chambre (1594-1669), who was also a doctor and philosopher, argued with him. He claimed that the intellect is not only the property of humans, but also occurred in animals’ behavior. This article presents the main arguments of the polemic between these two scientists. It also shows the essential difference between them which concerns the phrase “creating.” Chanet understood it as constantly occurring in nature, de la Chambre as once don

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