Synopsis

David Hume is one of the most provocative philosophers to have written in the English language. His skeptical accounts of the causes and consequences of religious belief are expressed most powerfully in "The Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion" and "The Natural History of Religion." "The Dialogues" ask if belief in God can be inferred from the nature of the universe or whether it is even consistent with what we know about the universe. "The Natural History of Religion" investigates the origins of belief, and follows its development from harmless polytheism to dogmatic monotheism. Together they constitute a most formidable attack upon the rationality of religious belief.

Booknews

Presents four works that are central to the 18th-century Scottish philosopher's campaign against organized religion. The three posthumous essays were probably written at the height of his campaign, but he dropped the project on advice from a friend. The spelling, capitalization, and punctuation are modernized and the speakers of each dialogue are identified with bold type. First published in 1980. No index. Paper edition (unseen), $5.95. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.