With the general run of the philosophical atheists of the last century the
notion of a God was an hypothesis. There was left an admitted possibility
that the vague somewhat which went by more names than one, might be
personal, intelligent, and superintendent. In the works of Laplace,[1] who
is sometimes called an atheist from his writings, there is nothing from
which such an inference can be drawn: unless indeed a Reverend Fellow of
the Royal Society may be held to be the fool who said in his heart, etc.,
etc., if his contributions to the _Philosophical Transactions_ go no higher
than _nature_. The following anecdote is well known in Paris, but has never
been printed entire. Laplace once went in form to present some edition of
his "Systeme du Monde" to the First Consul, or Emperor. Napoleon, whom some
wags had told that this book contained no mention of the name of God, and
who was fond of putting embarrassing questions, received it with--"M.
Laplace, they tell me you have written this large book on the system of the
universe, and have never even mentioned its Creator." Laplace, who, though
the most supple of politicians, was as stiff as a martyr on every point of
his philosophy or religion (e. g., even under Charles X he never concealed
his dislike of the priests), drew himself up and answered {2} bluntly, "Je
n'avais pas besoin de cette hypothese-la."[2] Napoleon, greatly amused,
told this reply to Lagrange, who exclaimed, "Ah! c'est une belle hypothese;
ca explique beaucoup de choses."[3]
It is commonly said that the last words of Laplace were, "Ce que nous
connaissons est peu de chose; ce que nous ignorons est immense."[4] This
looks like a parody on Newton's pebbles:[5] the following is the true
account; it comes to me through one remove from Poisson.[6] After the
publication (in 1825) of the fifth volume of the _Mecanique Celeste_,
Laplace became gradually weaker, and with it musing and abstracted. He
thought much on the great problems of existence, and often muttered to
himself, _Qu'est ce que c'est que tout cela!_[7] After many alternations,
he appeared at last so permanently prostrated that his family applied to
his favorite pupil, M. Poisson, to try to get a word from him. Poisson paid
a visit, and after a few words of salutation, said, "J'ai une bonne
nouvelle a vous annoncer: on a recu au Bureau des Longitudes une lettre
d'Allemagne annoncant que M. Bessel a verifie par l'observation vos
decouvertes theoriques sur les satellites de Jupiter."[8] Laplace opened
his eyes and answered with deep {3} gravity, "_L'homme ne poursuit que des
chimeres_."[9] He never spoke again. His death took place March 5, 1827.
The language used by the two great geometers illustrates what I have said:
a supreme and guiding intelligence--apart from a blind rule called _nature
of things_--was an _hypothesis_. The absolute denial of such a ruling power
was not in the plan of the higher philosophers: it was left for the smaller
fry. A round assertion of the non-existence of anything which stands in the
way is the refuge of a certain class of minds: but it succeeds only with
things subjective; the objective offers resistance. A philosopher of the
appropriative class tried it upon the constable who appropriated _him_: I
deny your existence, said he; Come along all the same, said the
unpsychological policeman.
Euler[10] was a believer in God, downright and straightforward. The
following story is told by Thiebault,[11] in his _Souvenirs de vingt ans de
sejour a Berlin_,[12] published in his old age, about 1804. This volume was
fully received as trustworthy; and Marshall Mollendorff[13] told the Duc de
Bassano[14] in 1807 that it was the most veracious of books written by the
most honest of men. Thiebault says that he has no personal knowledge of the
truth of the story, but {4} that it was believed throughout the whole of
the north of Europe. Diderot[15] paid a visit to the Russian Court at the
invitation of the Empress. He conversed very freely, and gave the younger
members of the Court circle a good deal of lively atheism. The Empress was
much amused, but some of her councillors suggested that it might be
desirable to check these expositions of doctrine. The Empress did not like
to put a direct muzzle on her guest's tongue, so the following plot was
contrived. Diderot was informed that a learned mathematician was in
possession of an algebraical demonstration of the existence of God, and
would give it him before all the Court, if he desired to hear it. Diderot
gladly consented: though the name of the mathematician is not given, it was
Euler. He advanced towards Diderot, and said gravely, and in a tone of
perfect conviction: _Monsieur,_ (a + b^{n}) / n = x, _donc Dieu existe;
repondez!_[16] Diderot, to whom algebra was Hebrew, was embarrassed and
disconcerted; while peals of laughter rose on all sides. He asked
permission to return to France at once, which was granted.