The Natural History of Religion
E15559
The Natural History of Religion is a philosophical work by David Hume that examines the origins and development of religious belief in human societies through a skeptical and empirical lens.
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
book
→
philosophical work → treatise → |
| 18thCenturyWork |
true
→
|
| arguesThat |
polytheism historically precedes monotheism
→
religion arises from human passions and fears → religious belief is shaped by ignorance of natural causes → |
| author |
David Hume
→
|
| authorNationality |
Scottish
→
|
| countryOfFirstPublication |
United Kingdom
→
|
| criticizes |
anthropomorphic conceptions of the divine
→
arguments from design in popular religion → |
| examines |
historical development of religion
→
psychological origins of religious belief → social origins of religious belief → |
| focusesOn |
natural, not revealed, aspects of religion
→
|
| genre |
empiricist philosophy
→
philosophy of religion → religious studies → |
| hasForm |
prose
→
|
| historicalContext |
Scottish Enlightenment
→
|
| influenced |
later philosophy of religion
→
modern religious studies → secular critiques of religion → |
| intendedAudience |
educated readers interested in religion and philosophy
→
|
| language |
English
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|
| mainTopic |
development of religious belief
→
monotheism → origin of religion → polytheism → religion → superstition → theism → |
| methodology |
historical analysis
→
psychological observation → |
| perspectiveOnReligion |
critical of organized religion
→
naturalistic explanation of religion → |
| philosophicalApproach |
empiricism
→
naturalism → skepticism → |
| philosophicalTradition |
Enlightenment thought
→
early modern philosophy → |
| publicationYear |
1757
→
|
| publisherType |
18th-century philosophical publisher
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|
| relatedWorkByAuthor |
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
→
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion → |
| structure |
series of essays
→
|
| workSeriesContext |
Hume’s writings on religion
→
|
Referenced by (1)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
David Hume
→
|
notableWork |