A Short History of Freethought, Vol. 2 of 2: Ancient and Modern (Classic Reprint) - Couverture rigide

Robertson, John M.

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0331737701 ISBN 13 : 9780331737707

Editeur : Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

The digital edition of all books may be viewed on our website before purchase. Freethinkers and secularists may believe that theirs is a relatively modern philosophy. But as A Short History of Freethought, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 2 of 2 explains, freethought has a long and dignified history and has survived many previous attempts by government and churches to stifle reason and logic. Volume 1 traces the philosophies that were prevalent in the ancient world and Volume 2 describes freethought during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

J. M. Robertson was a Liberal member of Parliament, journalist and advocate of rationalism and secularism. He authored several books, including one on the historicity of Jesus. According to Robertson even some of history''s most celebrated thinkers, like John Stuart Mill, had a tendency to timidly "speak out without really speaking out" about their secularist beliefs. This problem is still ever present in our own time. Volume 2 opens with the rise of modern freethought in Italy and throughout Europe, partly as a reaction to the Reformation. Robertson does a good job of explaining the political, religious and social forces that affected the freethought movement. Although the Church fought freethinkers, scientists like Copernicus and Galileo gave new life to secular ideas.

The chapters on British Freethought in the 17th and 18th Century are rigorous and cover every major figure of the time and many minor ones that are less familiar to readers. This is particularly true in the chapters tracing secularism in the rest of Europe, as conditions in Poland, Portugal and Switzerland are included in the Volume. The discussion of early freethought in the United States is a helpful summary of scholars and statesmen who framed the Constitution, most of whom espoused deism, actively rejecting divinely-inspired texts. Their disavowal of established religious practices was just as revolutionary as their political declaration of independe

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Forgotten Books
• Date d'édition: 2018
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0331737701
• ISBN 13: 9780331737707
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 474
• Coordonnées du fabricant: Copytech (UK) Ltd, Trading as Printondemand-worldwide.com; gpsr@podww.com; ; 9 Culley Court; Orton Southgate; Peterborough; Cambridgeshire; PE2 6WA; Royaume-Uni
• Personne responsable: Easy Access System Europe Oü, 16879218; +358405003575; gpsr.requests@easproject.com; ; Mustamäe tee 50; Tallinn; 10621; Estonie