The commission purchased for Jean-Baptiste de Boyer in the Régiment de Toulouse in 1719 marked the start of a turbulent trajectory that saw him transition from a military officer to a prominent Enlightenment writer. Born in Aix-en-Provence in 1704, he defied his family's judicial expectations to become an influential rationalist author and outspoken critic of the Catholic Church.
Early Life and Disinheritance
Born to Pierre-Jean de Boyer and Angélique de L'Enfant, d'Argens was the eldest of seven children in a family of Noblesse de robe. His father served as Procureur général for the Regional Parliament of Provence. A shift in loyalty away from the Catholic Church, solidified by his observation of the 1731 Cadière witchcraft trial, led to his formal disinheritance in 1734. Despite these personal fractures, he maintained close ties with his brother Alexandre throughout their adult lives.
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His early adulthood was marked by military service, including a deployment during the War of the Polish Succession in 1733 alongside his brother Luc de Boyer. A significant fall from his horse in 1734 permanently concluded his military career. Following this injury, he relocated to the Netherlands to begin his career as a writer. His first major publication, Mémoires de Monsieur le Marquis d'Argens, appeared in 1735, followed by the successful six-volume Lettres juives, which drew inspiration from the epistolary format of Montesquieu.
The Prussian Court and Later Years
In 1742, d'Argens accepted an appointment from Frederick the Great, serving as a Royal Chamberlain in Berlin. During his tenure, he directed the Belles-Lettres section of the Prussian Academy of Arts and the Berlin State Opera. In 1749, he married the ballerina and writer Babette Cochois, with whom he had a daughter, Barbe. After decades abroad, he returned to France in 1769 and resided in Provence until his death on 11 January 1771, near Toulon.
Philosophical and Literary Contributions
As a member of the Enlightenment movement, d'Argens advocated for reason and the separation of church and state. His diverse bibliography includes Lettres chinoises, Lettres cabalistiques, and the historical analysis Histoire de l'esprit humain. While he produced several novels, his authorship of the controversial work Thérèse philosophe remains a subject of historical debate, as the text was originally released anonymously and he consistently denied its composition.
Fast facts
- Born: 1704, Aix-en-Provence
- Died: 1771, Toulon
- Spouse: Babette Cochois
- Notable work: Lettres juives
- Citizenship: France
- Positions held: Royal Chamberlain, Director of Belles-Lettres
Questions readers ask
Why was he disinherited?
He rejected the expected legal career of his family and became a vocal critic of the Catholic Church.
Did he write Thérèse philosophe?
He published the novel anonymously and denied authorship, though it is often attributed to him in modern scholarship.
