La Mettrie believed that if Descartes had consistently and thoroughly followed his own method,he would have concluded that:

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La Mettrie believed in the mechanistic view of living beings, that is, that all animals, both human and nonhuman, are essentially machines or automata, lacking a soul or immaterial mind. He argued that it was inconsistent for Descartes to claim that nonhuman animals lacked a mind or soul, while also claiming that they were capable of experiencing pain and pleasure, which requires some kind of subjective experience. Therefore, La Mettrie believed that Descartes' method logically led to the conclusion that all animals, including humans, are essentially machines or automata.

La Mettrie Believed That If Descartes Had Consistently and Thoroughly