BOUGEANT, Guillaume Hyacinth (1699-1743)

Amusement philosophique sur la langage des bestes

Paris: Chez Gissey ... Bordelet ... Ganeau (De l'imprimerie Gissey), 1739.
12mo: [pi]2 A-M8,4, N8, 82 leaves, pp. [4] 157 [3]. Woodcut decoration on title, headpiece and initial. [bound with] LA CHESNAYE DES BOIS, François Alexandre Aubert de (1699-1784) *Lettre a Madame la Comtesse D*** pour servir de supplément* à l'amusement philosophique sur le langage des bêtes [Paris?]: no imprint, text dated 20 March 1739 at the end. 12mo: A-D8,4 (blank D4), 24 leaves, pp. 46 [2] (last 2 pages blank). Leaf size and condition: 154 x 90mm. Binding: Contemporary sheep, gilt spine with raised bands, red morocco lettering piece. Small worm holes in joints, corners worn. Provenance and annotation: References: Wellcome II, 211 (without supplement); Sommervogel, I, 1879, 16.
First editions. There were a number of reprints of the main work in 1739 as well as an English translation, and there were later reprints and translations; the supplement was also reprinted in the same year.
§ Bougeant's work is ostensibly a treatise on animal speech, but in fact a satirical attack on Descartes' concept of the animal-machine. It was a highly popular work of which there were many reprints, so that the text is not hard to find, but copies with La Chesnaye's supplement are rare. <<In the early eighteenth century the Cartesian doctrine of the animal-machine was waning, and by 1730 most participants in the debate granted some measure of mentality to animals, although their reasons varied. The whole controversy was reduced to absurdity in 1739, when a Jesuit, Father Bougeant, wrote a very telling criticism of the Cartesian doctrine and the prevailing alternatives. He concluded that the only solution which would not threaten religion was to grant souls to animals but to consider these the souls of demons or fallen angels inhabiting animal bodies as a punishment. His position allowed him to concede reason and a true language to beasts and neatly to justify their suffering. His order rewarded his ironical wit by applying stern disciplinary measures. >>Robert M. Young Encyclopedia of philosophy I, 123.

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