Appendix G

CHRISTIAN IDEAS FROM EULER’S LETTERS TO A PRINCESS

The ideas and quotations below can be found in Letters to a

German Princess. Under the third column, the first number cited

is the page number in the original manuscript while the second

number cited is the page number in the adobe formatted document

obtainable from Google.

Letter Topic Page

Number Covered Location Christian Ideas/Teachings Mentioned
& Date of
Statement
13 Wind- 52 Air compression in nature (gun powder) is much
May gun (119) more powerful than air compression made by man
24, and (air rifle). We see here the infinitely superior
1760 gun power and wisdom of nature’s Author.
powder
18 Theory 73-74 Newton with his towering intellect made mistakes
of (140- with respect to visible phenomena. This shows us
Jun light 141) that God’s revelation (the Bible) is absolutely
10, necessary if we are to know truly, without
1760 mistakes, the invisible world and our eternal
salvation.
20 Propag 82-83 God created all things; since the nearest star’s
Jun ation (149- light will reach us in 6,000 years, Adam could not
17, of 150) have seen yet the light of the nearest star that
1760 light was created together with him. [Adam was mentioned
in Euler’s original letter.]

Euler cited a sermon with which he agrees, and the

sermon affirms that the wide expanse of
astronomical objects then known manifests the
immensity of creation and God’s kingdom.
21 Immens 84 Euler’s words: “But what must be the astonishment
Jun e (151) of one who reflects, on observing, that all these
21, distan immense bodies are arranged with the most
1760 ces consummate wisdom, and that the more knowledge we
betwee acquire on the subject, though it must be very
n imperfect, the more we must be disposed to admire
heaven their order and magnificence?”
ly
bodies [Euler went on to say that “we experience every
day the most dazzling marks of a providence
specific to the great master of our universe.” But
such was deleted (Le Clere, 1805).
41 Vision 165 “Though we are very far short of a perfect
 and (234) knowledge of [vision and eyes], the little that we
Aug struct do know of it is more than sufficient to convince
14? ure of us of the power and wisdom of the Creator. We
1760 the discover on the structure of the eye perfections
eyes which the most exalted genius could never have
imagined.”
43 Differ 174 “But the eye which the Creator has formed is
ence (241) subject to none of all the imperfections under
Aug betwee which the imaginary construction of the
19, n the freethinker labors. In this we discover the true
1760 eye of reason why infinite wisdom has employed several
the transparent substances in the formation of the
animal eye: it is thereby secured against all the defects
and which characterize every work of man. What a noble
the subject of contemplation! How pertinent that
artifi question of the Psalmist! He who formed the eye,
cial shall he not see? and He who planted the ear,
of the shall He not hear? The eye alone being a
camera masterpiece that far transcends the human
understanding, what an exalted idea we must form
of Him, who has bestowed this wonderful gift, and
that in the highest perfection, not on man only,
but on the brute creation, nay, on the vilest of
insects!” [the editor returned this deleted
portion and put it in the footnotes]
60 System 232 “When, therefore, philosophers dispute, whether
Sep of the (307) our world is the best or not, they proceed on the
19, univer supposition of a plurality of worlds; and some
1760 se maintain, that the one which exists, is the best
of all those which could have existed. They
consider the Deity as an architect, who, intending
to create this world, traced several different
plans, of which he selected the best, or that in
which the greatest perfections were all combined,
in the highest degree, and executed it in
preference to all the others. [This belief seems
to be confirmed by the story of creation, where He
(God) expressly states that it was good.” – This
last sentence was deleted from the original,
according to Ho.]
232- Euler accepted the presence of evil around the
233 world, evil that flows out of the wickedness of
(307- man who is intelligent and free to choose or make
308) decisions.
68 Attrac 261- Euler took for granted that the universe is God’s
Oct 18 tion 262 creation, though Euler uses reason to try to
1760 of (336- understand the interaction of bodies in the
bodies 337) universe.
in the
univer
se
75 Change 289 “Who was the prime mover? Those who put the
Nov s in (364) question admit, then, a beginning, and,
11, the consequently, a creation.”
1760 motion
of In the last paragraph, Euler urged everyone to
 bodies acknowledge ignorance on many important matters.

76 Agains 295 Euler argued against materialists that soul/spirit

Nov 15 t the (370) is not matter and is not a modification of matter.
1760 “monad
s” of
Wolff
79 Specie 303- Euler believed that God gave two powers
s of 304 (distinguishable but should not be confounded) in
Nov powers (378- the universe: corporeal (movement by the
25, 379) interaction of bodies) and spiritual (soul/spirit
1760 that can move animated bodies)
80 On the 308 “To think, to judge, to reason, to possess mental
nature (383) feeling, to reflect and will, are qualities
Dec 1? of incompatible with the nature of bodies; and beings
1760 spirit invested with them, must be of a different nature;
s and He who possesses those qualities in the
highest degree, is God.”
309 Two kinds of beings are in the world, material
(384) beings and spiritual beings, that are “most
intimately united, and upon their union,
principally, depend all the wonders of the world,
which are the delight of intelligent beings, and
lead them to glorify their CREATOR.” [Last word
in caps is in the translation.]
83ff Euler discussed the interaction of body and soul,
and found wanting the theories of Descartes and
Leibniz. But his discussion is always in the
context of trying to rightly discern God’s
designed unity of body and soul.
85 Libert 328 The soul/spirit is free to decide, and is
Dec y of (397) therefore responsible for its actions. This is the
16, spirit foundation of right and wrong.
1760 s
86 Libert 330- Euler explained how prescience (knowing things
Dec 20 y of 332 beforehand) of God the Supreme Being does not
1760 spirit (399- compromise human freedom.
s 401)
87 Effect 334- The presence of souls/spirits does not make the
s of 335 universe a machine, and this makes creation
Dec free (403- “infinitely more worthy of the almighty Creator,
23, spirit 404) who formed it. The government of this universe
1760 s on will likewise ever inspire us with the most
events note: sublime idea of the sovereign wisdom and goodness
in the 404 of God.”
world contin
ues at
407
335, Events do not just occur base on the “will of men
336 and animals.” There are just so many decisions,
(404, consequences, and circumstances. “But it is here
407) that we must acknowledge the government and
providence of God, who, having from all eternity
foreseen all the counsels, the projects, and the
voluntary actions of men, arranged the corporeal
world in such a manner, that it brings about, at
 all times, circumstances which cause these
enterprizes to fail...

“...fail or to succeed, according as his infinite

wisdom judges to be most fit. God thus remains
absolute sovereign of all events, notwithstanding
the liberty of men, all whose actions, though
free, are, from the beginning, part of the plan
which God intended to execute, when he created
this universe.

“This reflection plunges us into an abyss of

wonder and adoration at the infinite perfections
of the Creator; while we consider that there is
nothing so mean in itself as not to be, from the
beginning of the world, an object worthy of
entering into the original plan which God proposed
to himself.”

89 Origin 340- “After having reflected in this manner, it will be

Dec of 344 difficult for you to believe, that there should
30, evil (409- have been men who maintained, that the universe
1760 413) was the effect of mere chance, without any design.
But there always have been, and there still are,
persons of this description; those, however, who
have a solid knowledge of nature, and whom fear of
the justice of God does not prevent from
acknowledging Him, are convince, with us, that
there is a Supreme Being, who created the whole
universe, and, from the remarks which I have just
been suggesting to you, respecting bodies,
everything has been created in the highest
perfection.
“God is supremely good and holy; He is the author
of the world, and that world swarms with crimes
and calamities. There are three truths which it
is, apparently, difficult to reconcile: but, in my
opinion, a great part of the difficulty vanishes,
as soon as we have formed a just idea of spirit,
and of the liberty to essential to it, that God
himself cannot divest it of this quality.
“And as God has all power over the consequences of
human wickedness, every one may rest assured, that
in conforming to the commandments of God, all
events which come to pass, however calamitous they
may appear to him, are always under the direction
of Providence, and, finally, terminate in his true
happiness.

“This providence of God, which extends to every

individual, in particular, thus furnishes the most
satisfactory solution of the question respecting
the permission, and the origin, of evil. This
likewise is the foundation of all religions, the
alone object of which is to promote the salvation
of mankind.”
92 Nature 355* Euler argued that his soul cannot be located in a
Jan of (424) particular place but acts there and so, by
10, spirit analogy, God also does not exist in any particular
1761 s place but is everywhere because he acts upon all
bodies.
93 State 357* God created man a union of soul/spirit and body,
Jan of (426) and the soul’s power on the body is God’s gift.
13, souls
1761 after
death
358* God’s power extends to all the universe and to
(427) everything in it. It is proper to say that God is
present everywhere but not God exists everywhere.
Euler averred that such is the language of
Revelation (p. 77).
94 Body 360 Euler believed that the soul of man is the
Jan and (429) “principal part” of man’s being.
17, soul
1761 363 Man’s material body (including the brain and
(432) nerves, for example) and spiritual soul work so
closely in ways we cannot wholly fathom, but their
incomprehensible union has been established by
God.
95 Facultie 364- Man by his soul reflects and makes judgments as he
s of the
Jan 368 relates to the world of objects through his bodily
soul &
20, judgment (433- senses.
1761 437)
96 Ideali 369- The idealist affirms only the existence of spirits
Jan 24 sts & 372 and deny material objects; at the opposite side is
materi (438- materialist
alists 441)
97 Refuti 373 Euler’s critique of idealism came from a
Jan 27 ng (442) “creationist” worldview
ideali
sts
98 Percei 377 The soul’s faculty of perception depends on the
Jan 31 ving (446) union God established between soul and brain
100 Abstra 388- The notion of forming general ideas, making
Feb 7 ction 389 abstractions and distinctions, make humans
of (457- different from animals.
notion 458)
s
109 Sensat 428 Two faculties of the soul are understanding and
ions (495) will. By the will we make resolutions and actions,
Mar 10 of the even against motives. Essential to the will (and
soul soul/spirit) is liberty, which God himself will
not remove.
110 Origin 429- Euler echoed the words of Christ in Matthew 5
and 432 about anger and murder. He also called the Bible
permis (496- as Holy Scriptures.
sion 499)
of
evil &
sin
111 Moral 433- “In truth with regard to spirits, it is impossible
Mar 17 and 436 to conceive a more deplorable irregularity, than
 physic (500- when they deviate from the eternal laws of virtue,
al 503) and abandon themselves to the commission of vice.
evil Virtue is the only means of rendering a spirit
happy; to bestow felicity on a vicious spirit is
beyond the power of God himself. Every spirit
addicted to vice is necessarily miserable, and,
unless it returns to virtue, it’s misery cannot
come to an end: such is the ideaI form of demons,
of wicked and infernal spirits; an idea which, to
me, appears consonant to what Scripture suggests
on the subject.
“Besides, spirits are the authors of the evils
which necessarily result from sin, every free
agent being always the only author of the evil
which he commits; and consequently, these evils
cannot be imputed to the Creator; as among men,
the workman who makes the sword is not responsible
for the mischief that is done with it. Thus, with
respect with the moral evils which prevail in the
world, the sovereign goodness of God is
sufficiently justified.
“A father, who saw his son on the point of
committing a murder, would snatch the sword out of
his hand, and prevent the perpetration of a crime
so heinous. I have already observe, that this
abandoned son is equally guilty before God,
whether he has actually accomplished his design,
or only made ineffectual efforts to execute it,
and the father, who prevented him, does not
thereby render him better.
112 Compla 437- “The insufficiency of temporal good things to
May 21 ints 440 render us happy, becomes still more manifest, when
on (504- we come to reflect on our real destination. Death
evil 507) does not put a period to our existence, it rather
transmits us into another life, which is to endure
forever. The faculties of our foul, and our
attainments in knowledge, will then, no doubt, be
carried to the highest perfection; and it is on
this new state cannot be happy without virtue.
“What will it be then, in the life to come, when
God himself shall shed abroad his love in our
hearts, a love the effects of which shall never be
interrupted nor destroyed! This shall,
thenceforward, constitute a felicity infinitely
surpassing all that we can conceive.
“This blessed union absolutely requires, in us, a
certain disposition, without which we should be
incapable of participating in it; and this
disposition consists in virtue, the basis of which
is the love of God, and that of our neighbor. The
attainment of virtue, then, should be our chief,
our only object in this life, where we exist but
for this end, to prepare for, and to render
ourselves worthy of partaking on supreme and
eternal felicity.
“In this point of view, we must form a judgement
 of the events which befall us in this life. It is
not the possession of the good things of this
world that renders us happy; it is rather, a
situation which most effectually conducts to
virtue.
“You have no difficulty, then, in comprehending,
that God had the most solid reasons for admitting
into the world so many calamities and miseries, as
the whole obviously contributes to our salvation.
It is unquestionably true, that these calamities,
are for the most part, natural consequences of
human corruption; but it is in this very thing,
that we must principally admire the wisdom of the
Supreme Being, who knows how to overrule the most
vicious actions, for our final happiness.
“I have already remarked, that bad actions are
such, only with regard to those who commit them:
the determination of their soul alone is criminal,
the action itself being a thing purely corporeal,
in as much as, considered independently of the
person who commits it, there is nothing, either
good or evil, in the case.
“Thus, however criminal actions may be, with
regard to those who commit them, we must consider
them in a quite different light as they affect
ourselves, or produce an influence on our
situation.
113 Destin 440 “We ought, therefore, to reflect, that nothing can
ation (504 befall us, but what is perfectly consonant to the
of sovereign wisdom of God. The wicked may be guilty
man; of injustice towards us, but we cannot upon the
use of whole suffer from it; no one can ever injure us,
advers though he may greatly hurt himself; and in
ity everything that comes to pass, we ought always to
acknowledge God, as if it befell us immediately by
his express appointment. We may, moreover, rest
assured , that it is not from caprice, or merely
vex to us, that God disposes the events in which
we are concerned, but that they must infallibly
terminate in our true happiness. Those who
consider all events in this light, will soon have
the satisfaction of being convinced, that God
exercises a peculiar care over them.