A History of Atheism in Britain: From Hobbes to RussellProbably no doctrine has excited as much horror and abuse as atheism. This first history of British atheism, first published in 1987, tries to explain this reaction while exhibiting the development of atheism from Hobbes to Russell. Although avowed atheism appeared surprisingly late – 1782 in Britain – there were covert atheists in the middle seventeenth century. By tracing its development from so early a date, Dr Berman gives an account of an important and fascinating strand of intellectual history. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Foundling Followers of Hobbes | 48 |
3 Anthony Collinss Atheology | 70 |
4 The Suppression of Atheism | 93 |
17821797 | 110 |
6 Shelleys Deicide | 134 |
7 The Struggle of Theoretical Atheism over Practical Atheism | 153 |
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Common terms and phrases
according affirmation agnostic agnosticism Alciphron Answer Anthony Collins argue argument assertion attributes Balguy believe Bentham Bentley Berkeley Berkeley's Bradlaugh Carlile Chapter Christianity Collins Collins's conception creation crucial clash Cudworth Curteis d'Holbach defence deism deistic deists Deity denial of atheism deny the existence disbelief Discourse divine doubt edition edn London essay Essayist evidence existence of atheists existence of God existence of speculative fideist Fotherby free-thinking freethought George Grote Gildon God's existence Grote Hammon Hence Hobbes Hobbes's Hogg Holyoake Hume Hume's idea interpretation irreligion J.M. Robertson letter Locke matter McTaggart's Mill Mill's mind moral Necessity necessity of atheism negative theology orthodox position Paine pantheistic philosophical practical atheism Priestley principle published Queen Mab question quoted Radicati reason religious repressive tendency Richard Carlile Robertson Rochester Scepticus Section seems Shaftesbury Shelley Shelley's atheism speculative atheism Spinoza statement suggests theistic theological theoretical theism thing thought tion truth Turner unthinking word writes