History of Atheism in Britain
Subtitle: From Hobbes to Russell
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2013
Language: eng
ISBN-13: 9781299558557
Subjects: Atheism; History; Athéisme; Histoire
Description: Probably 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.
Table of contents: title: 1. The repression of atheism; title: 2. Restoration atheists : foundling followers of Hobbes; title: 3. Anthony Collin's atheology; title: 4. The suppression of 'atheism'; title: 5. The birth of avowed atheism : 1782-1797; title: 6. Shelley's Deicide; title: 7. The struggle of theoretical atheism over practical atheism; title: 8. The causes of atheism; title: 9. The atheists : 1822-1842; title: 10. Militant and academic atheism.