| Author |
Hume, David, 1711-1776 |
| Title |
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
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| Note |
Reading ease score: 50.0 (College-level). Difficult to read.
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| Credits |
Produced by Col Choat. HTML version by Al Haines.
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| Summary |
"Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion" by David Hume is a philosophical treatise written in the mid-18th century. This work consists of a dialogue among three characters—Pamphilus, Hermippus, and the philosophers Cleantes, Philo, and Demea—who discuss various aspects of natural religion, particularly the existence and nature of God. The text delves into complex philosophical debates surrounding the nature of faith, reason, and the understanding of divinity, contrasting different viewpoints on how humans can comprehend the divine. The opening portion of the dialogues introduces the idea that while ancient philosophers often communicated through dialogue, such a method is less common in modern philosophy. Pamphilus reflects on a recent series of conversations he attended, featuring his mentor Cleantes, the sceptic Philo, and the dogmatic Demea. These characters offer different approaches: Cleantes advocates for a rational analysis of natural religion, Philo raises doubts about human reason's capacity to truly understand God, while Demea emphasizes the necessity of faith and reverence over inquiry. The stage is set for a rich exploration of the nuances of religion and philosophy, as each character presents compelling arguments that challenge the others’ views. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
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| Subject |
Natural theology -- Early works to 1800
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| Subject |
Religion -- Early works to 1800
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
4583 |
| Release Date |
Oct 1, 2003 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Dec 28, 2020 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
1960 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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