Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion

Description

A classic work of religious philosophy, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion is Scottish philosopher David Hume's famous examination of the nature of God. Hume asks the question as to whether or not man's belief in God can be supported by experience. The subject is discussed between three philosophers named Demea, Philo and Cleanthes. While all three agree that a god exists, they differ sharply in opinion on God's nature and how, or if, humankind can come to knowledge of a deity. Review: A founding document of modern philosophy - As an 18th-century empiricist, Scottish philosopher David Hume set about to show the limits of reason. In this work, he shows that our belief in God is not the result of reason (i.e., 2+2=4) but of an “animal faith” we are born with. Just as we are born with an animal faith in causality, we naturally believe that the world has an outside cause. He admits that there is an “analogy” between a human artist/craftsman and the idea of God creating the world. It is almost impossble to enjoy the beauties of nature without gratitude to its creator. As a result, he claims it is impossible to be an atheist. And those metaphysicians who claim God is pure mind without limit have abstracted God out of existence. Hume has little respect for organized religion, built as it is on the fear of death: “When a man is in a cheerful disposition, he is fit for business or company or entertainment of any kind, and he naturally applies himself to these, and thinks not of religion... “But still it must be acknowledged, that as terror is the primary principle of religion, it is the passion which always predominates in it and admits but short intervals if pleasure.”