Jean Meslier’s Militant Atheist Thought and Its Enlightenment – A Study Centered on His Testament

Jean Meslier (1664–1729), a forerunner of 18th-century French utopian socialism and a militant atheist, served as a village priest in Étrépigny, Champagne, France. Over a forty-year career, Meslier honestly carried out the priestly duties that violated his own inner convictions. Although he outwardly performed the functions of a priest, inwardly he had long sown seeds of hatred for the feudal aristocracy, hostility toward ecclesiastical authority, and sympathy for the laboring masses. In his later years, Meslier secretly resolved that before he lost his sight entirely, he would record what he had seen and thought in daily life, leaving it as his testament to posterity and a “witness to the truth.” With astonishing perseverance, he finally completed the manuscript of his Testament. However, out of consideration for the social situation of the time, Meslier did not publish it during his lifetime; the full text of the Testament was first formally published in the Netherlands only in 1864. The Testament contains a wealth of atheist thought, which played an important ideological and propagandistic role in exposing and criticizing religious theology and the feudal autocratic system. Its publication not only propelled the struggle of the bourgeoisie against theological authority and feudal autocracy during the French Enlightenment but also exerted a profound influence on the struggle of people in other parts of the world against religious superstition.

让·梅叶(JeanMeslier,1664—1729年),18世纪法国空想社会主义先驱和战斗的无神论者，曾担任法国香槟省埃特列平村的乡村神甫。在40年职业生涯中，梅叶诚实地执行着违反自己内心信念的神甫职务，他虽表面上履行神甫职责，其实内心早已播下痛恨封建贵族，仇视教会神权和同情劳苦大众的种子。梅叶在晚年暗下决心，誓要在自己双目失明之前，将平日所见所思记录下来，作为他留给后人的遗言和“真理的见证”,并最终凭借惊人的毅力完成了《遗书》手稿。然而，出于对当时社会局势的考虑，梅叶生前并未将其公之于众，直到1864年《遗书》全文才在荷兰第一次正式出版。《遗书》中具有丰富的无神论思想，为揭露、批判宗教神学和封建专制制度发挥了重要的思想舆论作用，它的问世不仅对法国启蒙运动期间资产阶级反抗神学权威和封建专制的斗争起到了推动作用，而且对世界其他地区人民反对宗教迷信的斗争也产生了深远的影响。

At present, some scholars have conducted relevant research on Meslier’s atheist thought. From abroad, Soviet scholar A. M. Deborin and French scholar Dominique Vaze have studied Meslier’s political and philosophical thought, addressing religious issues in the process of elucidating his political views and exploring the connection between his political and philosophical thought. Domestically, scholars such as Wang Qiming, Ji Danqing, and Wang Qi have respectively studied Meslier’s political thought, his thought on common prosperity, and his materialist worldview, all touching upon his atheist thought and regarding it as his ideological weapon against religion and theology. Scholar Xie Yingrui has conducted a relatively in-depth analysis of the philosophical foundations of Meslier’s atheist thought. Through review, it is found that overall, Chinese scholars’ relevant research on Meslier started relatively late, the reason being that before reform and opening up, China’s translation and research of relevant works were relatively weak. It was only after reform and opening up, as Marxist historians excavated, organized, and translated Meslier’s relevant works, that Meslier’s proper historical position in the Enlightenment was restored. Overall, domestic academic research on Meslier exhibits the characteristics of a late start and relative insufficiency; research on Meslier’s atheist thought is also relatively scattered, only touched upon in related studies, lacking systematic and thematic exploration. In view of this, on the basis of in-depth study of Meslier’s work Testament and extensive reference to relevant research results, this paper attempts to explore the core essence of Meslier’s atheist thought, aiming to promote the deepening and expansion of related research and provide new perspectives and reflections for understanding the role of Meslier’s atheist thought in history and in contemporary society.

当前，已有学者对梅叶无神论思想进行了相关研究。从国外看，苏联学者A.M.德波林、法国学者多米尼克·瓦泽,对梅叶的政治思想、哲学思想进行了研究，在阐释其政治观点的过程中论及宗教问题，探讨了其政治思想与哲学思想的关联性。从国内看，王启明、纪丹青、王琪等学者，分别对梅叶的政治思想、共同富裕思想、唯物主义世界观进行了研究，均涉及到梅叶的无神论思想，并将之视为梅叶反宗教、反神学的思想武器。学者谢应瑞则对梅叶无神论思想的哲学基础进行了较为深入的分析。通过梳理发现，我国学者对梅叶的相关研究整体起步较晚，原因在于改革开放前我国对相关著作的翻译、研究较为薄弱。直到改革开放后，随着马克思主义史学家挖掘、整理、翻译梅叶的相关著作，梅叶在启蒙运动中应有的历史地位才得以恢复。总体而言，国内学界对于梅叶的研究呈现出起步较晚、较为不足的特点，对于梅叶无神论思想的研究也相对分散，仅在相关研究中有所涉及，缺乏系统性和专题性的探讨。鉴于此，本文在深入研究梅叶著作《遗书》以及广泛借鉴相关研究成果的基础上，试图探讨梅叶无神论思想的核心要义，以期推进相关研究的深化和扩展，为人们理解梅叶的无神论思想在历史上以及当代社会中的作用提供新的视角和思考。

I. Demonstrating the Illusoriness and Hypocrisy of Religion

一、论证宗教的空幻和虚伪

As a militant atheist, Meslier was deeply angered by the absurdity and ignorance of religion. In his work Testament, he devoted considerable space to exposing the falsity of so-called miracles, demonstrating the illusoriness and hypocrisy of religion from four aspects.

作为一名战斗的无神论者，梅叶对宗教的荒谬和愚昧深感气愤。他在著作《遗书》中用了大量的笔墨来揭示所谓神迹的虚假性，从四个方面对宗教的空幻和虚伪进行了论证。

First, religion is a fabricated, illusory thing created by human beings. Meslier believed that the religions of his time disguised man-made doctrines as sacred dogmas, an act that was essentially a form of deception. Those who formulated these doctrines borrowed the name and authority of God to make the masses accept religious dogmas that suited their own wishes. However, because fundamental contradictions and conflicts exist between the doctrinal principles of different religions, they cannot all be regarded as true simultaneously, nor can they be judged to originate from the same divine source. Therefore, Meslier pointed out: “There is no doubt that at least the greater part of the religions of the world, as I have said, are purely fabrications of human beings.” [1]1 Karl Marx, “Introduction to a Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right,” in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 3 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1975), p. 182. Next, Meslier further examined the hidden motives of those who fabricated religion, finding that such people abused the name and prestige of God to promote their own laws and regulations, while simultaneously compelling the people to revere, worship, and fear them more, thereby ruling over and deceiving the masses. Furthermore, he cited numerous examples, such as the Roman king Numa Pompilius, the Egyptian king Trismegistus, the Cretan king Minos, and the founder of Islam, Muhammad, exposing their evil deeds of using religious tricks to fool the people and believers, and further proving that various religions existing in the world and those that have existed in history are, in essence, products of human fabrication.

其一，宗教是人为捏造的虚幻的事物。梅叶认为，当时社会上的宗教将人为设定的教义伪装成神圣信条，这种行为在本质上是一种欺骗行为。而制定这些教义的人之所以借神的名义和权威，是为了让大众接纳符合其意愿的宗教教条。但是由于不同宗教的教义原则之间存在根本性矛盾和冲突，故无法同时被视为真实，也不能被判定为源自同一神圣源头。因此，梅叶指出：“毫无疑义，至少世界上大部分宗教，如我已说过的，都纯粹是人们捏造出来的。”接着，梅叶对伪造宗教者的背后动机进行了进一步考察，发现这类人滥用神的名义和威望，是为了推行他们自己的法律和规章，同时迫使人民更加敬畏、崇拜并畏惧他们自己，进而统治和欺骗大众。此外，他还引证大量事例，如罗马国王努玛·彭庇里乌斯、埃及王特利斯麦吉斯特、康地王米诺斯以及伊斯兰教创始人穆罕默德等，披露了他们利用宗教诡计愚弄人民和信徒的恶行，并进一步证明了世间现存的以及历史上曾经存在过的各种宗教本质上都是人类捏造的产物。

Second, blind faith, which serves as the foundation of all religions, is the source of error, illusion, and deception. On the one hand, if religious doctrines and morality are built upon deception and error, causing people to fall into division and confusion between religious doctrines and true reality, then such a religion is false. In fact, all religions, including Christianity, have their sacraments, doctrines, and moral systems constructed upon a foundation of misunderstanding, illusion, and fraud. Christianity takes faith as its core, that is, unconditional belief in the existence of deities, sacred laws, and revelations, and uses this to build its own moral and doctrinal system. The reverence and authority of all religions stem from believers’ faith in divine existence and its revelations; once this faith is lost, religious doctrines will be despised. Therefore, the primary principle of every religion is to demand that believers be unwavering in their own faith. Religions emphasize that faith must be firm and unshakable, in order to prevent believers from changing their religious affiliation. But in Meslier’s view, this kind of faith is blind. Because each religion neither can nor will provide reliable evidence for its so-called sacred sacraments and revelations; it only demands that people accept them unconditionally and without doubt. If someone asks for reasons, it is considered an insult to the deity, and probing too deeply into the secrets of divine power invites punishment. In the final analysis, religion equates firm faith with blind faith, discarding logical reasoning and evidentiary support. This blind faith, instilled in the name of God, is precisely the source of error, illusion, and deception.

其二，作为一切宗教之基础的盲目信仰，是迷误、错觉与欺骗的根源。一方面，若宗教教义与道德建立在欺骗和迷误之上，导致人们在宗教教义与真实现实间陷入分裂混乱，那么这种宗教便是虚假的。事实上，包括基督教在内的所有宗教，其圣礼、教义与道德体系，都构筑于误解、幻觉与欺诈的基础之上。基督教以信仰为核心，即无条件相信神灵、神圣法则与启示的存在，并以此搭建自身的道德与教义体系。所有宗教的尊崇与权威，都源于信徒对神圣存在及其启示的信念，一旦失去这种信念，宗教教义便会遭到轻视。因此，各宗教的首要原则，便是要求信徒对自身信奉的宗教坚定不移。宗教强调信仰必须坚定不可动摇，以此防止信徒改变宗教信仰。但在梅叶看来，这种信仰具有盲目性。因为各宗教既无法也不会为其所谓的神圣圣礼与启示提供可靠证据，只会要求人们无条件、无怀疑地全盘接受，若有人追问缘由，便会被视为侮辱神灵，过分探寻神威秘密更会招致惩戒。归根结底，宗教将坚定信仰等同于盲目信仰，摒弃逻辑推理与证据支撑，这种借神的名义灌输的盲目信仰，正是迷误、错觉与欺骗的根源。

Third, the illusoriness and hypocrisy of religion arise from the falsity of visions and divine revelations. Christian believers have attempted to use divine revelation as the foundation of their faith, thereby consolidating the truth and certainty of their religion. In response, Meslier criticized that if people today still claim to have seen God, received divine revelations, and boast of this, such people are undoubtedly mentally disturbed, driven by hallucinations and fanaticism. To prove the correctness of his view, Meslier focused on the theme of apparitions and divine revelations, using the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – three revered patriarchs who dreamed of God and received revelations – as examples, reminding people that matters tinged with religious confusion, self-deception, and fraud need not be taken seriously at all. Even if the three patriarchs could appear in person and recount their visions and revelations, these accounts could hardly escape the nature of superstition and self-deception. If the narrators led others to believe them, they were either themselves caught in hallucinations and simple-minded, or they harbored ulterior motives and belonged to the category of liars and swindlers. In Meslier’s view, the falsity of the stories concerning the three patriarchs is easily exposed; these visions and revelations were beneficial only to specific individuals and peoples, and their essence was partiality based on injustice. From this perspective, they were only considered sacred because they suited the interests of specific groups. The absurd details in the stories directly revealed their false core, such as the mark of circumcision used when God made a covenant with humans, the cruel ritual of sacrificing innocent animals, and the grand promises God made to the three patriarchs that ultimately came to nothing and were never fulfilled. Thus, Meslier finally concluded that the illusoriness and hypocrisy of religion arise precisely from the falsity of its visions and divine revelations.

其三，宗教的空幻和虚伪由幻象及神灵启示的虚假性所产生。基督教信徒曾试图将神灵启示作为自己的信仰根基，并以此巩固自身宗教的真理性与确凿性。对此，梅叶批判道，若当下仍有人自诩见过神明、获得神启并以此自夸，这类人无疑是精神失常，为幻觉与狂热所驱使。梅叶为了证明自己观点的正确性，他聚焦显圣与神灵启示的主题，以亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各三位被尊为神圣的族长梦见神明并接受启示的故事为例，提醒人们那种充斥着迷惘、自欺与欺诈的宗教色彩事务，根本无需严肃对待。即便三位族长能亲自现身讲述其幻象与启示，这些内容也难逃迷信、自欺的本质。如果讲述者让他人信以为真，要么是自身陷入幻觉、头脑简单，要么便是暗藏私利、属于撒谎行骗之徒。在梅叶看来，三位族长相关故事的虚假性极易被戳穿，这些幻象与启示仅对特定个人和民族有利，其本质是建立在不公正之上的偏袒。从这个视角而言，只因契合特定群体的利益才被奉为神圣。而故事中那些虚妄的细节，更直接暴露了其虚假内核，比如上帝与人立约时采用的割礼标记、以无辜牲畜献祭的残酷仪式，以及上帝对三位族长许下的宏伟承诺始终无果、从未兑现。由此，梅叶最终得出结论：宗教的空幻与虚伪，正是由其幻象及神灵启示的虚伪性所产生。

Fourth, the hypocrisy of religion is derived from the hypocrisy of the so-called covenants and prophecies in the Old Testament. Christians often cite prophecies to support their faith, regarding them as the core basis for proving the authenticity of religion. In their view, only God can accurately foresee distant future events, and prophecies are powerful evidence of divine revelation and the authenticity of omens. In response, Meslier analyzed those prophets and holy men who claimed to speak by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, pointing out that they are not divine messengers at all, but ordinary people easily deceived by illusions, whose words and deeds are often driven by intense emotions and impulses. What is more, those impostors disguised as prophets, who style themselves as executors of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are in fact guided by the “devil” of hypocrisy and deception. In Meslier’s view, many so-called prophets in history are either狂热信徒 [fanatical believers] or those lost in hallucinations, or charlatans who abuse the name of God and seek personal gain through prophecies. As one prophet said, some false prophets utter prophecies in God’s name, but God has never communicated with them; their words are nothing but fabricated illusions and deliberate misguidance. Meslier listed numerous examples of prophets, proving that so-called prophets are in fact merely fanatics, people trapped in hallucinations.

其四，宗教的虚伪性从《旧约》所谓誓约及预言的虚伪性中得出。基督教徒常援引预言支撑自身信仰，将其视作证明宗教真实性的核心依据。在他们看来，唯有上帝才能精准预知遥远未来的事物，预言便是神灵启示与预兆真实性的有力证据。对此，梅叶剖析了那些自称依圣灵启示说话的先知与神人，指出他们并非什么神圣使者，只是容易被幻觉迷惑的普通人，其言行往往受激烈情感与冲动驱使。更有甚者，那些伪装成先知的骗子，自诩为圣灵启示的执行者，实则受虚伪与欺骗的“魔鬼”引导。在梅叶看来，历史上诸多所谓先知，要么是狂热信徒或沉迷幻觉者，要么是滥用上帝之名、借预言谋求私利的江湖术士。正如有先知所言，有些假先知以神的名义妄发预言，神从未与他们交流，其言论不过是捏造的幻象与别有用心的误导。梅叶列举了大量先知们的例证，证明所谓先知，其实就是一些狂信者、一些陷于幻觉的人。

Furthermore, Meslier also proposed criteria for judging the authenticity of prophets. If a prophet claims to prophesy based on God’s revelation, but his prophecies fail to come true and are instead negated by reality, then he is by no means a true prophet. He cited examples of prophets such as Moses, King David, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, and found that none of their promises and prophecies to the faithful were fulfilled; they did not even have the slightest clue about the timing and manner of the fulfillment of these promises. From this, he concluded that these covenants and prophecies are all false, and those who concocted these false covenants and prophecies are either believers raving in a state of fanaticism, or impostors who vainly attempt to gain admiration through prophecies and thereby deceive and fool the people.

此外，梅叶还提出判断先知真伪的标准。若先知声称依托上帝启示预言，但其预言未能成真、反而被现实否定，便绝非真正的先知。他列举摩西、大卫王、以赛亚、以西结等先知的事例，发现他们对信众的诺言与预言无一实现，甚至连这些承诺的兑现时间与方式都毫无头绪。由此断定，这些誓约与预言全是虚假的，而炮制这些虚假誓约与预言的人，要么是狂热状态下胡言乱语的信徒，要么是妄图借预言博取敬仰进而欺骗愚弄民众的骗子。

II. Exposing the Collusive Relationship between Royal Power and Theocratic Power

二、揭露王权与神权间的媾和关系

In 18th-century France, the relationship between royal power and theocratic power was a major issue affecting social development. After witnessing the miserable state of the people suffering exploitation and oppression, Meslier turned his attention to exposing and criticizing the relationship between royal power and theocratic power. He pointed out that the root of all people’s calamities lies in the art of power [quanshu], analyzed the operating principles of religion and government, and elucidated the secret of the collusion between religion and politics, thereby exposing the collusive relationship between royal power and theocratic power.

在18世纪的法国，王权与神权的关系一直是影响社会发展的一对重大问题。梅叶在目睹人民遭受剥削和压迫的惨状后，将关注点投向对王权与神权关系的揭露和批判，指出造成人们一切灾难的根源在于权术，并对宗教与政府的运作原则进行了分析，阐明了宗教和政治勾结的秘密，从而揭露了王权与神权之间的媾和关系。

First, Meslier exposed that the art of power is the root of all people’s calamities. He believed that all the severe disasters that befall the people, including being bound by superstition and being subject to the tyrannical laws of the world of power, have their root in the art of power. Some people attempt to rule over others equal to themselves in an unjust manner, while others crave worldly or even religious fame. To more easily achieve the goal of fooling the people, these two types of people not only skillfully employ violence but also use various intrigues and schemes. Thus it can be seen that these people skilled in the art of power exploit the people’s lack of education, their gentle and kind nature, to force the people to revere and believe in them, thereby voluntarily or involuntarily accepting the various laws imposed upon them. Using these means, one part of people forces others to honor them and regard them as deities; the other part becomes the most powerful and wealthiest people in the world. When these two groups, through intrigues and schemes, obtain power, wealth, and influence sufficient to make others fear and submit, they begin to brutally force these people to submit to their laws. Meslier pointed out that this is precisely the root and origin of everything that drives people to respect and worship others as if they were deities.

首先，梅叶揭露权术是造成人们一切灾难的根源。他认为，所有降临于人民的深重灾难，包括被迷信所束缚以及受到强权世界中暴虐法律的支配，其根源在于权术。一些人试图以不公正的方式统治与自己同等的人群，而另一些人则渴望获得世俗乃至宗教上的虚名。为了更轻松地实现愚弄人民的目标，这两类人不仅巧妙地采用了暴力，还运用了各种阴谋诡计。由此可见，这些精于权术的人利用人民教育水平的不足、性格上的柔弱与善良的特质，迫使人们对自己产生敬畏与信仰，从而自愿或非自愿接受强加于他们的各种法律。运用这些手段，一部分人逼迫别人尊崇自己且将其视为神灵；另一部分人则变为世界上最有权势、最富有的人。当这两者通过阴谋诡计获得权力、财富和影响力，并足以让他人感到恐惧而屈服时，他们便开始残暴地迫使这些人屈从于自己的法律。梅叶指出，这正是所有驱使人们像对待神灵一样予以尊敬和崇拜的一切事物的根源和起源。

Second, Meslier criticized the operating principles of religious theocratic power and government rule. Meslier believed that some people use intrigues and schemes to force others to regard them as deities or saints. These people are spread across the earth, frenziedly squeezing the people and plundering everything of value that the people possess. Similarly, the origin and beginning of the privileges held by the church and clergy are the same. Meslier reminded people that priests and bishops seize these privileges to dominate people. Under the pretext of opening the gates of heaven for people and allowing them eternal happiness, in the name of saving people’s afterlife from the pain of a fabricated hell, they instill in people ideas that both frighten them and give them hope, but are in fact harmful to them, causing people to endure hellish pain in the only life they can rely on, ultimately achieving the goal of controlling people. This practice severely interferes with people’s opportunity to enjoy genuine happiness in their present real life. After analyzing the operating principles of religious theocratic power, Meslier turned to analyzing the operating principles of government rule. He believed that brutal governments can only be established and maintained by relying on the same methods and principles as religion. Because acts that violate religious principles and undermine the fundamental laws of the state are regarded as extremely dangerous. Therefore, wise people choose to comply with state laws, even if these laws themselves are unjust. Thus, they not only outwardly conform to religion but also in practice follow religious rules and strategies, even if they have a profound understanding of religion’s hypocrisy and fallacies. Because, compared to the difficulty of overcoming themselves and submitting to fallacies, a peaceful life and preserving their property are far easier than resisting fallacies and kings with absolute power. In some larger kingdoms, rulers often cannot personally manage the territories that maintain their regime and rule, so they send out officials, governors, etc., and give them generous rewards, aiming to make them protect their interests and ensure the stability of this autocratic system. Meslier pointed out that those clever people, clearly seeing the government’s injustice and abuses of power, still remain silent. Furthermore, there are secular officials, religious officials, and those seeking official positions who care more about their own fame and fortune than about public affairs. Those who obtain state positions will not resist the king’s hypocrisy and tyranny. Similarly, those who seek holy orders and lucrative positions in religion will not easily resist either, because they all expect to continuously expand their power under the king’s patronage.

其次，梅叶批判了宗教神权与政府统治的运转原则。梅叶认为一些人利用阴谋诡计，强迫别人把自己当作神灵或圣人来看待。这些人遍布地球，他们疯狂地压榨人民，掠夺人民所拥有的一切值钱的东西。同理，教会与僧侣所拥有的特权的起源与发端也是如此。梅叶提醒人们，神甫和主教就抓住这些特权来支配人。他们打着为人们开启天国之门、让人们永享幸福的幌子，以拯救人们来世免受虚构地狱痛苦的名义，向人们灌输那些令其既恐惧又抱有希望、事实上却对其有害的观念，使人们在唯一可以依靠的生活中忍受如地狱般的痛苦，最终达到控制人的目的。这种做法严重干扰了人们享受当下现实生活中真正幸福的机会。在分析完宗教神权的运转原则后，梅叶又转向对政府统治的运转原则进行分析。他认为，残暴的政府依靠与宗教同样的方法和原则才能得以建立和维持。因为违背宗教原则和破坏国家根本法律的行为被视为极度危险的行为。因此，明智之人会选择顺应国家法律，即便这些法律本身存在不公平。于是他们不但在表面上顺从宗教，而且在实际中也依然遵循宗教的守则和策略，即使他们对宗教的虚伪和谬误有着深刻认识。因为，相较于他们克服自己和服从谬误的困难程度而言，平静的生活和保住自己的财产，远比反抗谬误以及拥有绝对权力的国王容易的多。在一些领土面积较大的王国里，统治者往往不能亲自管理维持其政权和统治的领土，便会派出官吏、省长等，并给予他们丰厚的报酬，目的是使他们保护自己的利益并确保这种专制制度的稳定。梅叶指出，那些聪明的人明明看到了政府的不公道和滥用职权的行为，但还是保持缄默。此外，还有一些世俗官员和宗教官员以及想谋取一官半职的人，他们比起关心公共事务来说，更重视自己的功名。得到国家职务的人，他们不会反抗国王的虚伪与暴虐。同样，那些试图在宗教中谋取圣职和有利可图职位的人，也不会轻易反抗，因为他们都期望能在国王的庇护下不断扩大自己的权力。

Finally, Meslier elucidated the secret of the collusion between religion and politics. In Meslier’s view, on the one hand, under normal circumstances, religion and politics cannot coexist peacefully; they are full of contradictions and oppose each other. Given that religion inherently contains the qualities of gentleness and piety, it should condemn cruel and unjust tyrannical systems. On the other hand, if political action is based on reason and wise judgment, it should condemn and curb the abuses, fallacies, and fraud of false religion. Theoretically, things should develop in this direction, yet reality is not so. Therefore, although religion and politics appear theoretically diametrically opposed and contradictory, in reality, once they form an alliance and establish friendly relations, they can coexist harmoniously. From that moment on, they are like two accomplices, mutually sheltering and supporting each other. Religion supports the worst governments, and the government likewise shields the most absurd and foolish religions. Priests use eternal pain as a threat, calling on believers to obey magistrates, dukes, and kings as they obey God. At the same time, kings also respect the interests of priests, granting them generous stipends, guaranteeing their right to worship, and using political means to force the people to acknowledge that everything taught by the priests is truth. In reality, all this is hidden under the guise of the worship of God and religious faith; deception, fallacy, and superstition fill the entire human world, bringing severe disasters to the poor people.

最后，梅叶阐明了宗教和政治相勾结的秘密。在梅叶看来，一方面，在一般情况下，宗教和政治是不能和睦共处的，二者是充满矛盾且相互对立的。鉴于宗教本质上蕴含着温和与虔诚的特质，它理应谴责那些残酷且不公正的暴政制度。另一方面，若政治行为是基于理性和明智的判断，它理应谴责并遏制虚假宗教的滥权、谬误和欺诈行为。理论上，事情本应朝这个方向发展，然而现实却并非如此。因此，尽管宗教和政治在理论上看似截然相反、相互矛盾，但在现实中，一旦它们结成联盟并建立友好关系，便能和谐共处。从那一刻起，它们仿佛是两个共犯，相互庇护与支持。宗教支持最坏的政府，而政府也同样包庇最荒谬、最愚蠢的宗教。神甫利用永恒的痛苦作为恐吓手段，号召信徒们像服从上帝一样服从长官、公爵和国王。同时，国王也尊重神甫的利益，赋予他们丰厚的俸禄，保障他们做礼拜的权利，并且通过政治手段逼迫人民承认神甫所教的一切都是真理。实际上，这一切都隐藏在对上帝的崇拜和宗教信仰的幌子之下，欺骗、谬误和迷信充斥整个人间，为贫苦人民带来深重灾难。

III. Exposing the Crimes of the French Feudal Nobility and Religious Officials in Exploiting the People

三、揭露法国封建贵族与宗教官员剥削人民的罪行

After witnessing the despicable acts of exploitation and oppression of peasants by the ruling class and feudal lords, Meslier showed great sympathy for the peasants, conducted an in-depth analysis of social relations in the French countryside, exposed the shameful behavior of the feudal nobility and religious lords who lived without working, and fiercely criticized the feudal autocratic system of the French authorities, demonstrating a thorough revolutionary spirit.

梅叶在目睹了统治阶级和封建领主对农民剥削、压迫的卑劣行径后，对农民给予了极大的同情，并对法国农村中的社会关系进行了深入剖析，揭露了封建贵族和宗教主不劳而获的可耻行径，对法国当局的封建专制制度进行了猛烈批判，表现出彻底的革命精神。

First, Meslier critically examined social relations in the French countryside. Based on his direct observation of the reality of French peasants being oppressed and exploited, Meslier conducted a profound analysis of the social relations in rural France at that time. His critical logic revolved around the peasants’ living conditions, the nobility’s exploitative methods, and the essence of that exploitation. First, peasants were at the bottom of society, living in extreme hardship. They labored with all their might for the feudal nobility, yet could barely secure basic food and clothing, falling into a state of extreme material deprivation. Meslier stated bluntly that French peasants were the “true slaves” of the feudal nobility, and could be considered the most pitiable and unfortunate group of that era. Second, the nobility exploited the peasants through violent plunder and coercive suppression. The feudal nobility, who possessed vast tracts of fertile land, were still unsatisfied even after enjoying every luxury and comfort. They forcibly seized peasant property through violence or deceit, compelled peasants to pay taxes and undertake additional corvée labor; at the same time, they imposed spiritual oppression, demanding absolute obedience and subservience from the peasants. Even the lowest-ranking petty nobles forced peasants to be cautious and trembling in their presence, while ceaselessly plundering the peasants’ remaining assets. Meslier sternly condemned the exploiters, denouncing the feudal nobility who oppressed the peasants as “devils,” and clearly pointed out that this group created human calamities through robbery and torture, and were the chief culprits responsible for the peasants’ misery. Meslier clearly revealed the social landscape of rural France at that time: the feudal nobility lived a life of ease and luxury, reaping without sowing, while the peasants, under dual material and spiritual oppression, struggled at the very bottom of society. If the poor could not rid themselves of the harassment of these “scoundrels,” they would never have the possibility of attaining happiness.

首先，梅叶对法国农村中的社会关系进行了批判性审思。基于对法国农民受压迫、遭剥削现实的直观观察，梅叶对当时法国农村社会关系进行了深刻剖析，其批判逻辑围绕农民的生存境遇、贵族的剥削手段与剥削本质展开。其一，农民处于社会底层，生存境遇极端困苦。他们为封建贵族竭尽全力地劳动，却连基本温饱都难以解决，在物质层面陷入极度匮乏的境地。梅叶直言，法国农民是封建贵族“真正的奴隶”,堪称彼时最可怜、最不幸的群体。其二，贵族以暴力掠夺与强权压制剥削农民。占有大量良田的封建贵族，在享尽荣华富贵后仍不满足。他们以暴力或奸计强行搜刮农民财产，强制农民缴纳赋税、承担额外劳役；同时在精神层面实施压迫，要求农民对其绝对顺从、唯命是从，即便是地位最低的小贵族，也逼迫农民在其面前小心翼翼、战战兢兢，并不断掠夺农民仅剩的资产。梅叶对剥削者进行了严厉谴责，将压迫农民的封建贵族斥为“魔鬼”,明确指出，这类群体通过抢劫与折磨制造人间祸患，是导致农民不幸的罪魁祸首。梅叶清晰揭示了当时法国农村的社会图景，即封建贵族过着养尊处优、不劳而获的生活，而农民则在物质与精神的双重压制下，挣扎于社会最底层。若穷人无法摆脱这些“恶棍”的困扰，便永无获得幸福的可能。

Second, Meslier exposed the shameful practice of the clergy living off the labor of others without working themselves. In French society at that time, there existed a large number of groups who were supported by the people yet were of no benefit to them, and who even specialized in oppressing and exploiting the people. Meslier collectively referred to these groups, who lived by extortion, were idle and useless, and made no contribution to society, as social “parasites.” Among the many “parasite” groups, he specifically criticized the shameful means by which the clergy – including priests, abbots, pastors, monks, and nuns – lived without working. The clergy, draped in a sacred cloak, outwardly preached the emptiness of the worldly life, vowed to uphold poverty and be isolated from the world, but behind the scenes, relying on religious privilege, they possessed large amounts of land and wealth. The Church amassed wealth through methods such as “offerings,” the sale of “indulgences,” and the management of estates. However, this wealth was not used to relieve the poor, but was squandered on building lavish churches, purchasing expensive religious artifacts, and maintaining the daily luxurious life of the clergy. Behind this behavior of living without working was essentially the squeezing and exploitation of the working people. The clergy, with the false promise of “saving souls,” numbed the resistance consciousness of the底层民众 [lower-level masses], making them willingly offer up the fruits of their own labor, while the clergy reaped the benefits without effort, becoming the “parasites” of the entire society. His exposure not only directly targeted the hypocrisy and greed of the clergy, but also touched upon the fetters of religious theocracy on human nature and its destruction of social fairness. Meslier lamented: “How absurd and unreasonable it is to live by the labor of others!”

其次，梅叶揭露了僧侣阶层不劳而获的可耻行径。在当时的法国社会中，存在大量依靠人民供养却对人民毫无益处、甚至专门从事压迫剥削人民的群体。梅叶将这类以勒索为生、游手好闲且对社会毫无贡献之人统称为社会“寄生虫”。在诸多“寄生虫”群体中，他特别批判了包括神甫、修道院长、牧师、修士和修女等僧侣阶层不劳而获的可耻途径。僧侣们身披神圣外衣，表面上宣扬尘世空虚、誓守清贫与世隔绝，背地里却凭借宗教特权，占有大量土地与财富。教会以“奉献金”、售卖“赎罪券”、经营田产等方式聚敛财富，但是这些财富并没有被用于救济贫民，而是被挥霍在建筑奢华教堂、重金购买宗教器物与维持僧侣日常奢靡生活中。这种不劳而获的行为背后实质上是对劳动人民的压榨与剥削。僧侣阶级以“拯救灵魂”的虚假承诺，麻痹底层民众的反抗意识，使其甘愿奉献自身的劳动成果，而僧侣们却坐享其成，成为整个社会的“寄生虫”。他的揭露不仅直指僧侣阶级的虚伪与贪婪，更触及了宗教神权对人性的束缚与对社会公平的破坏。梅叶感叹道：“靠别人的劳动来养活自己，这是多么荒谬无理啊!”

Finally, Meslier criticized the feudal autocratic system of the French authorities. Meslier’s logic in criticizing the feudal autocratic system of the French authorities was clear, and his core argument directly targeted the brutal nature of autocratic rule. This specifically included two aspects: the dictatorial core of autocratic rule and its exploitation of the people, and the serious consequences it caused. First, the dictatorial core of autocratic rule and its exploitation of the people. Regarding the dictatorial essence of autocratic rule, which takes the monarch’s will as supreme, Meslier sharply pointed out: “All rulers, all kings and dukes are tyrants.” Under the French autocratic system, the monarch regarded his personal will as the sole basis for issuing decrees, even replacing rational argument. The king was worshipped as a deity, becoming arrogant and conceited amidst the flattery of those around him. The king firmly believed he had absolute control over the lives and property of his subjects. Therefore, he showed no mercy for the lives of the people and completely ignored their basic rights. This dictatorial essence further externalized into dual oppression of the people, with exorbitant taxes and levies and war plunder as typical manifestations. Meslier was particularly concerned about the harm the autocratic system inflicted on the peasant group. To satisfy his vanity, ambition, and greed, the French king imposed new taxes under various false pretexts, completely disregarding the interests of the people. If peasants were unable to pay taxes, they would face forced plunder by tax police. Even if they pleaded their poverty, it was to no avail, and they ultimately had to hand over their remaining assets. More seriously, the king gradually evaded the institutional constraint that taxation required the consent of the Estates-General [1]1 Karl Marx, “Introduction to a Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right,” in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 3 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1975), p. 182.. Furthermore, the monarch’s expansionist ambitions triggered large-scale wars, and the soldiers, grain, and money needed for war were all taken from the people. The wars launched by Louis XIV [2]2 Louis XIV (1638–1715), known as the Sun King, was the monarch of France whose long reign was marked by centralization of power, costly wars, and the construction of the Palace of Versailles. had brought misfortune to the people, causing provinces to be devastated, cities destroyed, and people displaced. Second, the feudal autocracy of the French authorities brought serious consequences. The predatory policies of the autocratic system led to class antagonism and intensified social contradictions, directly causing the polarization of “officials getting richer, people getting poorer.” The king and his ministers achieved wealth accumulation by squeezing the lifeblood of the people, forcing the people into abject poverty and complete submission. The底层民众 [lower-level masses], lacking the courage to resist tyranny, could only vent their anger and dissatisfaction by quarreling with each other, which further intensified internal social contradictions and turmoil. Moreover, autocratic rule directly led to a fundamental divergence between the purpose of rule and reality. Meslier clearly stated that the people do not exist for the rulers; on the contrary, rulers exist for the people. This people-oriented concept [2]2 Louis XIV (1638–1715), known as the Sun King, was the monarch of France whose long reign was marked by centralization of power, costly wars, and the construction of the Palace of Versailles. emphasized that the core duty of rulers is to ensure the safety and happiness of the people. Even Richelieu [3]3 Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642), was the chief minister to King Louis XIII of France, known for strengthening royal power and centralizing the state., the chief minister during the reign of Louis XIII of France, a representative figure who implemented autocratic rule, acknowledged that the entire goal of the king’s activities should be the happiness of the people. But the reality of French autocracy ran counter to this. It was precisely the monarch’s indifference to the people’s suffering, and the exploitation of the people by a large number of “parasites” who lived without working, that ultimately incited the revolutionary resistance, and the king himself bore an inescapable responsibility for the people’s suffering.

最后，梅叶批判了法国当局的封建专制制度。梅叶对法国当局封建专制制度的批判逻辑清晰，核心论点直指专制统治的残暴本质，具体包括专制统治下的独裁内核与对民众的盘剥，及其所造成的严重后果两个方面。其一，专制统治下的独裁内核与对民众的盘剥。专制统治以君主意志至上为核心的独裁本质，梅叶尖锐地指出：“一切统治者、一切国王和公爵都是暴君。”在法国的专制体系下，君主将个人意志视为颁布法令的唯一依据，甚至取代理性论据。国王被奉为神明，在周围人的阿谀奉承中变得狂妄自大，国王坚信自己对臣民的生命与财产拥有绝对控制权。因此，对人民的生命毫不怜悯，也全然无视民众的基本权利。这种独裁本质进一步外化为对民众的双重压迫，以苛捐杂税与战争掠夺为典型表现。梅叶尤为关注专制制度对农民群体的侵害，法国国王为满足虚荣、野心与贪欲，以各种虚假借口增设新税，全然不顾民众利益。要是农民无力缴税，便会遭到税警的强制掠夺，即便诉尽贫苦也无济于事，最终只能交出仅存的资产。更为严重的是，国王逐渐逃避征税需经三级会议同意的制度约束。此外，君主的扩张野心会引发大规模战争，而战争所需的士兵、粮食与金钱，都取之于民。路易十四当初发动战争便为人们带来不幸，曾导致省份残破、城市损毁、人民流离失所。其二，法国当局的封建专制带来严重后果。专制制度的掠夺性政策导致阶层对立与社会矛盾激化，直接造成“官吏愈富、民众愈贫”的两极分化。国王和大臣通过压榨民众心血以达到财富积累的目的，迫使人民陷入赤贫而彻底顺从。底层民众因缺乏反抗暴政的勇气，只能通过相互争吵的方式发泄心中的怒气和不满，这进一步加剧了社会内部的矛盾与动荡。此外，专制统治还直接导致了统治目的与现实的根本背离。梅叶明确提出，人民并非为统治者而存在，相反统治者是为了人民而存在,这一民本理念强调统治者的核心职责是保障人民的安全与幸福。即便是法国路易十三时期的首席大臣黎塞留这般推行专制统治的代表人物，也承认国王的全部活动目标应是人民的幸福。但法国的专制现实却与之背道而驰。正是君主对民众疾苦的漠视，以及大量不劳而获的“寄生虫”对民众的盘剥，最终激起了反抗的革命，而国王本人对人民的苦难负有不可推卸的责任。

Meslier criticized French feudal relations and the autocratic system from fundamental principles, exposing the oppression and tyranny of the feudal nobility and religious officials over the people, and even skillfully used the Bible to attack feudalism. Meanwhile, the opposition writers of the same era only offered superficial, simple explanations for the feudal corvée labor and tax systems that exploited the people. His ideal was not simply to reform the feudal autocratic system, but to abolish it fundamentally. Uncompromisingness was Meslier’s most prominent characteristic in criticizing the feudal autocratic system. Subsequently, he put forward the important viewpoint of using revolutionary means to solve social problems and achieve the liberation of the people.

梅叶从根本原则上对法国封建关系和专制制度进行了批判，揭露了封建贵族和宗教官员对人民的压迫和暴政，甚至巧妙地利用《圣经》来攻击封建主义。而同时代的反对派作家们对于剥削人民的封建徭役和税收制度，也仅仅停留于表面的简单阐释。他的理想不是简单地改良封建专制制度，而是从根本上废除它。绝不妥协是梅叶在批判封建专制制度方面最显著的特点，随后他提出了用革命手段解决社会问题以实现人民解放的重要观点。

IV. A Profound Explanation of the Issue of People’s Liberation

四、对人民解放问题的深刻阐释

In Meslier’s view, all religions, at their inception, were artificially fabricated illusions. They made believers accept them on a spiritual level through error, lies, and fraud, and these were precisely the important causes of countless abuses of power and brutal acts in the human world. Tyranny directly caused the people’s hardship, and hypocritical religion colluded with tyranny to oppress and exploit the people, plunging them into an abyss of suffering. Meslier stood with the people, advocated for the people to use violence to achieve their own liberation, provided a profound explanation of the issue of people’s liberation, and demonstrated a militant revolutionary spirit.

在梅叶看来，一切宗教在创始时都是人为捏造的幻象，它们通过迷误、撒谎和招摇撞骗的方式使得信众从精神层面接受它们，而这些正是人世间无数滥用职权行为和残暴行为的重要原因。暴政直接造成人民生活困苦，而虚伪的宗教竟与暴政相互勾结，压迫和剥削人民，使人民生活在水深火热之中。梅叶与人民站在一起，倡导人民使用暴力实现自身解放，对人民解放问题进行了深刻阐释，展现出战斗的革命精神。

First, Meslier called on the people to unite and carry out revolution. Faced with the errors and superstitions in religion, as well as the tyranny of all bureaucrats who governed the people under the protection of royal power, Meslier called on the people to unite. To overthrow tyranny and throw off oppression, they must formulate a struggle plan “according to a common agreement.” He pointed out that if the people had the courage to shake off the suffering they shared, they should encourage one another to accomplish this noble and great undertaking. People could secretly exchange their thoughts and wishes with one another, and should skillfully expose and spread the emptiness, absurdity, and superstitious practices of religion, so as to inspire in the people a hatred for the tyranny of the king and religion. They should support one another in this necessary and just cause that concerned the common interests of the entire people. In Meslier’s view, the problem standing before the people was that they opposed one another and weakened each other, and were unable to unite together in struggle; such behavior would lead to self-destruction. Therefore, he urged the French people to cast aside all private grudges and personal enmity among themselves, and to direct their hatred and anger against those arrogant nobles and clergy, to strive to shake off the detestable oppression of tyranny, and to discard false and empty religious superstitions and rituals. The French people could learn from the Dutch and the Swiss, both of whom had bravely thrown off the brutal rule of the nobility and won freedom and independence.

首先，梅叶号召人民联合起来进行革命。面对宗教中的谬误和迷信，以及在国王权力庇护下所有管理人民的官僚们的暴政，梅叶号召人民要联合起来，若要推翻暴政，摆脱压迫，必须“根据共同的协议”制定斗争计划。他指出，如果人民有勇气摆脱共同遭受的苦难的话，大家就要相互鼓励，去完成这种崇高、伟大的事业。人们可以秘密地交流彼此的想法和愿望，要巧妙地揭示、传播宗教的虚无、荒谬和迷信行为，以启发人们对国王和宗教暴政的憎恶。要在这种关系全民共同利益的必要的正义事业上相互支援。在梅叶看来，挡在人民面前的问题是人们之间的相互反对和彼此削弱，而不能共同团结起来作斗争，这种行为将导致自我毁灭。因此，他奉劝法国人民要丢掉彼此间的一切私仇私怨，将仇恨和怒气用在对付那些骄傲的贵族、僧侣上，要努力摆脱令人憎恶的暴政压迫，摒弃虚假空洞的宗教迷信和仪式。法国人民可以学习荷兰人和瑞士人，这两国人民都英勇地摆脱了贵族的残暴统治，获得了自由与独立。

Second, Meslier advocated that the people achieve their own liberation through violent revolution. Compared with French political commentators of his time, Meslier’s political radicalism appears particularly distinctive. Fear of and distance from the masses of the people was a characteristic of most 18th-century French political thinkers, and this way of thinking was utterly incompatible with Meslier. Meslier firmly believed: “The people are not only capable of accepting freedom, but will seize freedom for themselves through their own efforts.” As an advocate of the abolition of private property, Meslier defended the fundamental interests of the oppressed peasant masses; in this respect, no 18th-century French political commentator could match Meslier’s thoroughness. He called on the people to take revolutionary action to overthrow all tyrants and exploiters, to eliminate the nobles and all kinds of officials who oppressed the people, as well as all kinds of religious officials who lived without labor. For he knew that without revolution, the working people could not be liberated. He advocated no compromise whatsoever with the ruling class, because the ruling class was to be overthrown and eliminated. Meslier called on the people to join the battle, to join the revolution, and even called for the killing of tyrants. He cried out: Where are those noble guardians of freedom who drove out kings and tyrants and handed power to everyone who wanted to kill a tyrant? Why can we not see them now, sweeping the earth clean of all tyrants, suppressing the oppressors, and returning freedom to the people? As an outstanding 18th-century political thinker, Meslier provided a penetrating analysis of the political situation in France. Regarding the enslaved condition of the peasants and the entire people, he correctly pointed out the way to escape this condition, calling on the people to join the revolution and achieve liberation through violent revolution.

其次，梅叶倡导人民通过暴力革命获得自身解放。与同时代的法国政论家们相比，梅叶在政治上的激进主义显得尤为特别。害怕并远离人民群众是18世纪大多数法国政治思想家的特点，而这种思想与梅叶是格格不入的。梅叶坚信：“人民不仅能够接受自由，而且会通过自己的努力为自己夺取自由。”作为反对私有制的倡导者，梅叶捍卫的是被压迫农民大众的根本利益，这一点在18世纪法国的政论家中没人能比梅叶更为彻底。他号召人民采取革命行动打倒一切暴君和剥削者，消灭压迫人民的贵族和各类官员，以及各类不劳而获的宗教官员。因为他知道，没有革命，劳动人民就不可能得到解放。他主张同统治阶级不能有任何妥协，因为统治阶级是应该被推翻和消灭的。梅叶号召人民参加战斗，参加革命，甚至号召杀死暴君。他大声疾呼，那些赶走国王和暴君，并且把权力交给每个想杀死暴君的人的自由的崇高卫士在哪里?为什么现在看不到他们来扫清地球上的一切暴君，镇压压迫者，把自由还给人民呢?梅叶作为18世纪杰出的政治思想家，对法国的政治情况进行了精辟分析，对于农民和全体人民陷于受奴役的境遇，正确地指出了摆脱这种境遇的出路，号召人们参加革命，通过暴力革命获得解放。

Third, Meslier criticized private property and advocated the establishment of public ownership of property. Meslier believed that the most widespread evil in social life was that all wealth and land were held in private hands. Under conditions of private ownership of wealth, everyone wished to possess as much wealth as possible; therefore, they seized wealth by any means, stirring up evil tendencies among the people. Private property opened the door to all kinds of crimes, and people engaged in brutal struggles to obtain more wealth. In these struggles, it was often the most despicable and vicious people who won, thereby appropriating for themselves the wealth on which the people’s lives depended. This led to the emergence of inequality: some people idled away their days, indulging in a life of drunkenness and dissipation, while others toiled day and night, yet suffered bullying and humiliation. However, the problem did not stop there. Inequality in the distribution of wealth also led to mutual jealousy, hatred, complaint, and resistance among the people. Those laborers who were deprived of the basic means of subsistence sometimes had to resort to theft, robbery, and even murder in order to survive. The poverty of the fathers also affected the children; due to economic hardship, they could hardly afford the costs of raising, educating, and supporting their children, causing their children to have to continue living in an environment of ignorance and extreme poverty. In short, in Meslier’s view, private property inevitably led to inequality and was an important cause of many evils and sufferings. Meslier was deeply influenced by the theories of ancient writers and early Christian writers such as Plato, Seneca, and Lactantius, while his profound feelings about real life were the direct driving force behind the formation of this theory.

再次，梅叶批判私有制，倡导建立财产公有制。梅叶认为，社会生活中最普遍的祸害，是一切财富及土地都掌握在私人手中。在财富私有的条件下，每个人都希望自己占有的财富越多越好，因此他们不择手段地攫取财富，在人们中间激起了罪恶倾向。私有制为各种罪行打开了大门，人们为了获得更多的财富进行残酷的斗争。在这场斗争中，往往是那些最卑鄙、最恶毒的人取得了胜利，从而将与人民生命息息相关的财富据为己有。这就导致了不平等现象的产生，一些人终日无所事事，沉溺于醉生梦死的生活，而另一些人则夜以继日地辛勤劳作，却饱受欺凌。然而，问题远不止于此。财富分配的不平等还会导致人们之间的相互嫉妒、仇恨、抱怨和反抗。那些被剥夺了基本生活资料的劳动者，为了生存有时不得不诉诸偷窃、抢劫甚至谋杀。父辈们的贫困同样会波及子女，由于经济困难，他们难以负担子女的培养、教育和生活费用，导致其子女不得不继续生活在知识匮乏和极端贫困的环境中。概言之，在梅叶看来，私有制不可避免地导致不平等，是成为众多祸害和痛苦的重要原因。梅叶深受古代作家以及早期基督教作家如柏拉图、塞涅卡、拉克坦提乌斯等人的理论影响，而他对现实生活的深刻感受则是形成这一理论的直接动力。

Finally, after criticizing the private property system that led to social division, Meslier advocated the construction of an ideal society centered on public ownership of property, to replace the existing autocratic system. He quoted the 17th-century French educator Fénelon, saying that natural conditions were extremely favorable, providing everything needed for countless good and industrious people. Meslier maintained that labor was the source of all wealth, and that any individual who participated in useful labor should have the right to utilize part of the natural resources. In the ideal society, the principles of equal labor and equal enjoyment should govern everything, and the realization of these principles should be based on the commonality of production and consumption. People should jointly own all wealth and land resources, and, in accordance with the principle of equal rights, use these resources jointly and equally. Based on this principle, Meslier sketched the outline of an ideal society. This society would be composed of all the residents of a city or a rural village district. They would jointly possess all wealth and land, and use them jointly in accordance with the principle of equal rights. All residents would love one another, treat each other as brothers and sisters, live together, and be completely equal in material terms. Everyone could participate in labor according to their own specialty and skill; the work of the members should be distributed according to the seasons of the year and the needs and convenience of producing various products. The ideal society described by Meslier was essentially a commune-type association, and to maintain peace and the spirit of mutual aid, alliances needed to be established among the communes. Without mutual aid, happiness and prosperity could not be sustained. For the commune organization to function in an orderly manner, a necessary hierarchy needed to be established, but this hierarchy should not violate the principle of fairness, and the commune leaders should be the wisest and most experienced people in the commune. At the same time, collective ownership should replace private ownership. The commune-type association advocated by Meslier, whether in material or spiritual terms, was a very perfect system for the poor. Only in this way could the poor throw off the dual oppression of government and religion and achieve their own liberation.

最后，在批判了导致社会分裂的私有制之后，梅叶倡导构建一个以财产公有制为核心的理想社会，以取代现行的专制制度。他引用17世纪法国教育家法奈龙的话说，自然条件极为优越，为无数善良且勤劳的人们提供了所需的一切。梅叶主张劳动是一切财富的本源，任何个体，只要参与了有益的劳动，均应获得利用部分自然资源的权益。在理想社会中，平等劳动和平等享受的原则应当主宰一切，而这个原则的实现，则应建立在生产与消费共同性的基础上。人们应当共同拥有所有财富和土地资源，并依据平等权利的原则，共同且平等地利用这些资源。根据这一原则，梅叶勾画出理想社会的轮廓。这个社会是由一个城市或乡村小区的全体居民组成。他们共同占有一切财富和土地，按照权利平等原则共同加以使用。全体居民之间互相友爱，情同手足，共同生活，物质方面一律平等。人人都可以按照自己的专业和特长参加劳动，社员的工作应当依据一年中的季节以及各种产品生产的需要和方便来进行分配。梅叶所描述的理想社会本质上是一种公社性质的联合体，而为了维护和平与互助精神，公社之间需建立联盟关系。如果缺乏互助，幸福与繁荣便无法持续。公社组织为了有序地运转，需要建立必要的等级制度，但是这些等级制度不应破坏公平法则，并且公社领导应由公社中最贤明、最有经验的人担任。同时，集体所有制应该代替私人制。梅叶倡导的建立公社性质的联合体，无论在物质方面或精神方面，对穷人来说都是非常完美的制度。只有这样，穷人才可以摆脱政府和宗教的双重压迫，实现自身解放。

V. Conclusion

五、结语

Among 18th-century French thinkers, although many opposed the Christian church and the religious worldview, only Meslier’s militant atheism became a direct weapon against the society of the exploiting classes. He revealed the absurdity of the theocentric view of history and made a great contribution to the transition of 18th-century French philosophy from deism to thorough atheism. Famous French Enlightenment thinkers such as Diderot and Holbach absorbed and drew upon the essence of Meslier’s atheist thought, using materialism as a weapon to launch a fierce critique of religious theology, thereby forming their own atheist thought. Furthermore, Meslier’s critique of religion made an indelible contribution to awakening the people from the fog of religion and inspiring them to liberate themselves. And when discussing the question of people’s liberation, he envisioned the establishment of a communist society based on public ownership, which provided inspiration for the later theoretical construction of utopian socialists. However, the bourgeoisie of the time and the capitalist relations of production that were emerging were not observed by Meslier; coupled with the limitations of his own social class, his atheist thought also had certain limitations. Although he saw the absurdity and reactionary nature of religion, he did not clearly understand the roots and essence of religion’s emergence, and therefore failed to find a genuine path for religion to disappear.

在18世纪的法国思想家中，虽有不少人反对基督教会与宗教宇宙观，但唯有梅叶的战斗的无神论思想成为反抗剥削阶级社会的直接武器，他揭示了神本史观的荒谬性，为18世纪法国哲学由自然神论过渡到彻底的无神论作出了巨大贡献。狄德罗、霍尔巴赫等法国著名启蒙思想家吸收、借鉴了梅叶无神论思想的精华，纷纷以唯物主义为武器，对宗教神学展开猛烈批判，形成了他们的无神论思想。此外，梅叶的宗教批判对启迪人民从宗教迷雾中觉醒，鼓舞人民解放自己做出了不可磨灭的贡献，而在论及人民解放问题时，他设想建立以公有制为基础的共产主义社会，则为后来空想社会主义者的理论构建提供了启迪。然而，当时的资产阶级和正在发生的资本主义生产关系是梅叶没有观察到的，加之其自身所属社会阶层的局限性，其无神论思想也带有一定的局限。他虽然看到了宗教的荒谬性和反动性，但是对宗教产生的根源和本质认识不清，也就未能找到真正让宗教消亡的途径。

Although Meslier’s atheism has its limitations, its outstanding historical contribution has left a significant mark on the history of the development of Western atheism, providing important theoretical references and historical lessons for our current propaganda and education on atheism. First, it is crucial to value and affirm human worth. Meslier’s atheism takes the liberation of the people oppressed by religion and monarchy as its logical starting point. In the process of criticizing religious theology, he always kept the people in his heart, valued human worth, and committed himself to achieving human liberation. This enlightens us that when conducting propaganda on atheism, we must adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, innovate propaganda methods, value and affirm human worth, and liberate people from the shackles of theism and various superstitions in order to achieve the comprehensive development of the individual. Second, we should unequivocally struggle against all harmful social trends. In the process of criticizing religious theology, Meslier pointed out that the feudal nobility and religious leaders used the guise of religion to oppress and exploit the people, leading to the people’s misfortune. At present, we must resolutely resist those illegal religious and superstitious activities that confuse right and wrong and undermine social customs, actively guide religion to adapt to socialist society, adhere to the direction of the Sinicization of religion in our country, and strive to achieve a modernization where material civilization and cultural-ethical progress are coordinated. Third, attention should be paid to the thoroughness of the critique of feudal theology. Meslier’s critique of religious theology and the related feudal relations and autocratic systems all advocated abolition rather than reform, demonstrating a thoroughgoing democratic and revolutionary spirit, which had a profound impact on the people’s struggle against religious superstition. Marx pointed out: “Theory can convince people as long as it is thorough, and it can grasp the masses as long as it persuades them.” [1]1 Karl Marx, “Introduction to a Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right,” in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 3 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1975), p. 182. At present, when advancing propaganda on atheism, we should unwaveringly uphold materialism as the scientific theoretical foundation, grasp the laws of the development of religious theism, and pay attention to the thoroughness of the critique of theology, thereby enhancing the masses’ theoretical consciousness of atheism, enabling people to adhere to the scientific spirit and maintain a clear mind when facing various theistic and superstitious ideas, and not be deceived by false propaganda.

梅叶的无神论思想虽有局限，但是其卓越的历史贡献在西方无神论发展史上留下了浓墨重彩的一笔，为当下我们进行无神论宣传教育提供了重要的理论参考和历史借鉴。其一，重视并肯定人的价值至关重要。梅叶的无神论思想以解放那些受到宗教和王权压迫的人民为逻辑起点，在批判宗教神学的过程中，他始终将人民放在心中，重视人的价值，并致力于实现人的解放。这启示我们进行无神论宣传时，必须坚持以人民为中心的发展理念，创新宣传方法，重视并肯定人的价值，将人从有神论和各种迷信的束缚中解放出来，以实现人的全面发展。其二，应旗帜鲜明地与一切不良社会思潮进行斗争。在批判宗教神学的过程中，梅叶指出，封建贵族和宗教领袖利用宗教的幌子压榨和剥削人民，导致了人民的不幸。当下，我们必须坚决抵制那些混淆视听、破坏社会风气的非法宗教和迷信活动，积极引导宗教与社会主义社会相适应，坚持我国宗教中国化方向，努力实现物质文明和精神文明相协调的现代化。其三，应注重封建神学批判的彻底性。梅叶对宗教神学以及与之相关的封建关系和专制制度的批判，都是倡导废除而不是改良，表现出彻底的民主主义和革命精神，对人民反对宗教迷信的斗争产生了深远影响。马克思指出：“理论只要说服人，就能掌握群众；而理论只要彻底，就能说服人。”当下，我们在推进无神论宣传时，应该毫不动摇地坚持唯物主义这个科学的理论基石，把握宗教有神论的发展规律，注重神学批判的彻底性，从而提升群众的无神论理论自觉，使人在面对各种有神论和迷信思想时能够坚持科学精神，保持清醒的头脑，不被虚假宣传所迷惑。