MALEBRANCHE, mal"branch', NICOLAS: French philosopher; b. in Paris Aug. 6, 1638; d. there Oct. 13, 1715. He studied theology at the Sorbonne, then at the age of twenty-two entered the Congregation of the Oratory, and spent the rest of his life in seclusion. The reading of Descartes' Traits de l'hamme led him to devote himself exclusively to philosophy, in the history of which he appears as the most prominent disciple of Des cartes, at some points developing and carrying farther the ideas of his master. 'He is the father of Occasionaliam. This depends upon the Cartesian distinction between spirit and matter, soul and body. The relation between these two opposites, which Descartes left unexplained or only vaguely explained, Malebrsnche made the subject of his deepest meditation. Hence resulted his peculiar doctrine, that events taking place in the one sphere occasioned God to effect corresponding readjustments in the other, so that nothing could be truly understood unless "seen in God." The principal representation of his system is found in his first work, De la recherche de la verith (Paris, 1674; two Erg. translations appeared in the same year, each in two vols., Oxford and London, 1694); but further developments are found in his qpif~Pr, - Baliona ehreEienrces (1677), De ha nature et de la grdce (1680; Eng. transl., 1695), Meditationa chrEtienrtes et mrstaphysiquea (1683), Traifk de morale (2 vols., 1694; Eng. transl., London, 1699), and especially in his Entretiens sur la mEtaphysique et sur la religion (2 vols., 1688). His De la nature et de la grSce deprived him of the favor of Bossuet, and implicated him in a long and bitter controversy with Antoine Arnauld. His doctrines were often said to incline toward Spinoziam, but on this point he found a warm defender in Leibnitz. While his metaphysics have now only very little interest, the noble piety of his works still impresses and the elegance of the representation exercises its charm. His works, first published in Paris, 1712, were again edited by Genoude and Lourdoueix (2 vols., Paris, 1837); also by J. Simon (1842, new ed.i 1858 ~ ~~ 4 vols.,1871, incomplete).

Bibliography: A. JoIY. Tmitd de morale de Mate6rancha, Paris, 1882; idem, Malebranehe ib. 1901; J. P. Damiron, Eesai cur 1'hist. de la philosophic, pp 352-396, ib. 1848; E. A. BIemPigaoa, dude cur Malebraruhe, ib. 1882; F. Bower, Modern Phsioaophy, PP. 7,3-88, New York, 1877; P. Ands?, De la vie de . . Makbmnclea, Paris, 1886; A. Farny etude cur la -mTe de MaIebranche Chaux de Fonde, 1886; E. Caird Essays on Literature and Philosophy, 2 vols., New York 1892; end, in general, works on the history of modern philosophy.