Thomas Holden
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199579945
- eISBN:
- 9780191722776
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199579945.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This book presents an historical and critical interpretation of Hume's rejection of the existence of a deity with moral attributes. It argues that in Hume's view no first cause or designer ...
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This book presents an historical and critical interpretation of Hume's rejection of the existence of a deity with moral attributes. It argues that in Hume's view no first cause or designer responsible for the ordered universe could possibly have moral attributes; nor could the existence (or non-existence) of such a being have any real implications for human practice or conduct. Hume's case for this ‘moral atheism’ is a central plank of both his naturalistic agenda in metaphysics and his secularizing program in moral theory. It complements his wider critique of traditional theism, and threatens to rule out any religion that would make claims on moral practice. This book situates Hume's commitment to moral atheism in its historical and philosophical context, offers a systematic interpretation of his case for divine amorality, and shows how Hume can endorse moral atheism while maintaining his sceptical attitude toward traditional forms of cosmological and theological speculation.Less
This book presents an historical and critical interpretation of Hume's rejection of the existence of a deity with moral attributes. It argues that in Hume's view no first cause or designer responsible for the ordered universe could possibly have moral attributes; nor could the existence (or non-existence) of such a being have any real implications for human practice or conduct. Hume's case for this ‘moral atheism’ is a central plank of both his naturalistic agenda in metaphysics and his secularizing program in moral theory. It complements his wider critique of traditional theism, and threatens to rule out any religion that would make claims on moral practice. This book situates Hume's commitment to moral atheism in its historical and philosophical context, offers a systematic interpretation of his case for divine amorality, and shows how Hume can endorse moral atheism while maintaining his sceptical attitude toward traditional forms of cosmological and theological speculation.
David Leeming
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195142884
- eISBN:
- 9780199834402
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195142888.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Myths are living entities that continue to energize thought and action in the modern world. If ancient mythmakers conceived of the evident reality of creation in terms of character and events we ...
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Myths are living entities that continue to energize thought and action in the modern world. If ancient mythmakers conceived of the evident reality of creation in terms of character and events we associate with such works as Genesis or the Rig Veda, modern scientific mythmakers see it in terms of evolution and the Big Bang. Myth has always been intricately related to religion and new religious metaphors and energies are to be found in the new scientific myths. Modern works of literature reflect ways in which the modern mind uses the ancient Creation, Deity, and Hero archetypes to reveal new understandings.Less
Myths are living entities that continue to energize thought and action in the modern world. If ancient mythmakers conceived of the evident reality of creation in terms of character and events we associate with such works as Genesis or the Rig Veda, modern scientific mythmakers see it in terms of evolution and the Big Bang. Myth has always been intricately related to religion and new religious metaphors and energies are to be found in the new scientific myths. Modern works of literature reflect ways in which the modern mind uses the ancient Creation, Deity, and Hero archetypes to reveal new understandings.
Mark S. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195134803
- eISBN:
- 9780199834655
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019513480X.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
This chapter asks what characteristics deities generally share, or, put differently, what terms do the texts use to express what deities are? It collects and analyzes labels and statements about ...
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This chapter asks what characteristics deities generally share, or, put differently, what terms do the texts use to express what deities are? It collects and analyzes labels and statements about deities to answer the fundamental question of what a deity was considered to be. Ancient Middle Eastern literatures generalize about the characteristics and actions of deities abstracted from religious tradition and experience (“second-order discourse”), and chapter 3 has already shown how the Ugaritic texts stress the idea of the deities as a divine royal family bound by social hierarchy and family ties. This chapter examines four other common features of deities: strength and size, body and gender, holiness, and immorality. Each of these traits is addressed in turn, first in Ugaritic literature and then in Israelite texts.Less
This chapter asks what characteristics deities generally share, or, put differently, what terms do the texts use to express what deities are? It collects and analyzes labels and statements about deities to answer the fundamental question of what a deity was considered to be. Ancient Middle Eastern literatures generalize about the characteristics and actions of deities abstracted from religious tradition and experience (“second-order discourse”), and chapter 3 has already shown how the Ugaritic texts stress the idea of the deities as a divine royal family bound by social hierarchy and family ties. This chapter examines four other common features of deities: strength and size, body and gender, holiness, and immorality. Each of these traits is addressed in turn, first in Ugaritic literature and then in Israelite texts.
Mark S. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195134803
- eISBN:
- 9780199834655
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019513480X.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Chapter 4 discusses different sorts of divine intersections or interrelations, including pluralities and pairings of deities within the divine household, where there are additional relationships ...
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Chapter 4 discusses different sorts of divine intersections or interrelations, including pluralities and pairings of deities within the divine household, where there are additional relationships centered on one or two figures. These relationships are explored to illustrate further the root metaphor of the family for Ugaritic divinity. After this survey of relations among the Ugaritic deities, the final section of the chapter explores alterations of divine relations within the presentation of divinity in ancient Israel.Less
Chapter 4 discusses different sorts of divine intersections or interrelations, including pluralities and pairings of deities within the divine household, where there are additional relationships centered on one or two figures. These relationships are explored to illustrate further the root metaphor of the family for Ugaritic divinity. After this survey of relations among the Ugaritic deities, the final section of the chapter explores alterations of divine relations within the presentation of divinity in ancient Israel.
Sarah M. Pike
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195177299
- eISBN:
- 9780199785537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195177299.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
New religious movements have typically emerged and thrived in times of social upheaval during which normative gender roles are challenged, such as in the United States during the industrializing ...
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New religious movements have typically emerged and thrived in times of social upheaval during which normative gender roles are challenged, such as in the United States during the industrializing mid-19th century and in the 1960s-1970s. New religions offer a range of roles for men and women that are shaped by a variety of different factors, including mythology, conceptions of deity, the role and teachings of the founder and leaders, and the demographic background of participants. Gender roles in NRMs include hierarchical models, role reversals, partnerships, and androgynous models. NRMs have typically experimented with alternative sex, marriage, and family structures, including celibacy, polygamy, and free love.Less
New religious movements have typically emerged and thrived in times of social upheaval during which normative gender roles are challenged, such as in the United States during the industrializing mid-19th century and in the 1960s-1970s. New religions offer a range of roles for men and women that are shaped by a variety of different factors, including mythology, conceptions of deity, the role and teachings of the founder and leaders, and the demographic background of participants. Gender roles in NRMs include hierarchical models, role reversals, partnerships, and androgynous models. NRMs have typically experimented with alternative sex, marriage, and family structures, including celibacy, polygamy, and free love.
M.N. Srinivas
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198077459
- eISBN:
- 9780199081165
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198077459.003.0010
- Subject:
- Sociology, Urban and Rural Studies
This chapter provides general remarks on religion in Rampura. The villagers propitiated a wide variety of deities from the high gods and goddesses of all-India Hinduism in their various ...
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This chapter provides general remarks on religion in Rampura. The villagers propitiated a wide variety of deities from the high gods and goddesses of all-India Hinduism in their various manifestations to local ones presiding over epidemics Deities differed from each other also in their personalities and character. This was particularly seen in the contrast between the mild, vegetarian deity Rama, and the fierce Mari. When several households had the same house deity, it was frequently indicative of the existence of an agnatic linkage between them. Astrology is woven into the fabric of Hindu religion as it is lived from day-to-day. The chapter takes into account certain ideas basic to the understanding of the day-to-day religious life of the people in Rampura and neighbouring villages.Less
This chapter provides general remarks on religion in Rampura. The villagers propitiated a wide variety of deities from the high gods and goddesses of all-India Hinduism in their various manifestations to local ones presiding over epidemics Deities differed from each other also in their personalities and character. This was particularly seen in the contrast between the mild, vegetarian deity Rama, and the fierce Mari. When several households had the same house deity, it was frequently indicative of the existence of an agnatic linkage between them. Astrology is woven into the fabric of Hindu religion as it is lived from day-to-day. The chapter takes into account certain ideas basic to the understanding of the day-to-day religious life of the people in Rampura and neighbouring villages.
Steven Heine
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195326772
- eISBN:
- 9780199870363
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195326772.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
The next area of debate, nonduality versus mediation, examined in Chapter Three involves the function of rituals and other intermediating elements of practice, such as objects of worship, in what is ...
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The next area of debate, nonduality versus mediation, examined in Chapter Three involves the function of rituals and other intermediating elements of practice, such as objects of worship, in what is supposedly an iconoclastic tradition founded on direct, unmediated experience realized through meditation conducted in the Monks Hall of the seven‐hall monastery grounds. By looking at key examples of how prayer temples evolved in relation to monastic training centers, this chapter argues that the traditional view of Zen must acknowledge that the religion allows for a wide variety of compound layouts. Temples that put an emphasis on aesthetic contemplation for monks may incorporate rock gardens or teahouses, for example, while those emphasizing the pursuit of worldly benefits for lay followers generally have a prominent shrine dedicated to an indigenous or esoteric deity that has been assimilated as an avatar or bodhisattva.Less
The next area of debate, nonduality versus mediation, examined in Chapter Three involves the function of rituals and other intermediating elements of practice, such as objects of worship, in what is supposedly an iconoclastic tradition founded on direct, unmediated experience realized through meditation conducted in the Monks Hall of the seven‐hall monastery grounds. By looking at key examples of how prayer temples evolved in relation to monastic training centers, this chapter argues that the traditional view of Zen must acknowledge that the religion allows for a wide variety of compound layouts. Temples that put an emphasis on aesthetic contemplation for monks may incorporate rock gardens or teahouses, for example, while those emphasizing the pursuit of worldly benefits for lay followers generally have a prominent shrine dedicated to an indigenous or esoteric deity that has been assimilated as an avatar or bodhisattva.
Mark S. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195134803
- eISBN:
- 9780199834655
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019513480X.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
This first chapter diagrams the basic contrast between anthropomorphic deities and monstrous divine creatures. Here the Assyriologist F. A. M. Wiggermann has provided a very helpful typology, which, ...
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This first chapter diagrams the basic contrast between anthropomorphic deities and monstrous divine creatures. Here the Assyriologist F. A. M. Wiggermann has provided a very helpful typology, which, modified for Ugaritic literature, helps to sketch the religious mapping of the cosmos; based on this typology, three zones are proposed--centwe, periphery, and beyond the periphery, which are primarily expressed in terms of space and place. These correspond, respectively, to home and foreign, what is experienced by humans and what is beyond human experience; in accordance with this scheme, deities inhabit “near” places whereas monsters and demonic forces do not. There is also a division between home (and foreign) deities who meet human need and functions, and divinities or monstrous forces on the periphery, who pose a threat or destruction. Further, benevolent deities are often rendered anthropomorphically or as domesticated animals, whereas destructive divinities appear as monstrous or as undomesticated species.Less
This first chapter diagrams the basic contrast between anthropomorphic deities and monstrous divine creatures. Here the Assyriologist F. A. M. Wiggermann has provided a very helpful typology, which, modified for Ugaritic literature, helps to sketch the religious mapping of the cosmos; based on this typology, three zones are proposed--centwe, periphery, and beyond the periphery, which are primarily expressed in terms of space and place. These correspond, respectively, to home and foreign, what is experienced by humans and what is beyond human experience; in accordance with this scheme, deities inhabit “near” places whereas monsters and demonic forces do not. There is also a division between home (and foreign) deities who meet human need and functions, and divinities or monstrous forces on the periphery, who pose a threat or destruction. Further, benevolent deities are often rendered anthropomorphically or as domesticated animals, whereas destructive divinities appear as monstrous or as undomesticated species.
Mark S. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195134803
- eISBN:
- 9780199834655
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019513480X.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
A particularly unusual case of divine death is examined in this chapter; this exception is the god Baal, who is considered to be a classic example of Sir James George Frazer’s category of “dying and ...
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A particularly unusual case of divine death is examined in this chapter; this exception is the god Baal, who is considered to be a classic example of Sir James George Frazer’s category of “dying and rising gods.” The methodology and viability of Frazer’s claim is addressed as it has been applied to Baal of Ugarit. Here the author has been influenced by Jonathan Z. Smith’s massive critique of Frazer's category of dying and rising gods, as well as by recent studies on ritual and myth. The chapter also ventures a constructive step in the interpretation of Baal’s death: if Baal is not to be regarded as a dying and rising god, what is the significance of his death and return to life? Finally, it looks briefly at the mythology of death and the god of Israel.Less
A particularly unusual case of divine death is examined in this chapter; this exception is the god Baal, who is considered to be a classic example of Sir James George Frazer’s category of “dying and rising gods.” The methodology and viability of Frazer’s claim is addressed as it has been applied to Baal of Ugarit. Here the author has been influenced by Jonathan Z. Smith’s massive critique of Frazer's category of dying and rising gods, as well as by recent studies on ritual and myth. The chapter also ventures a constructive step in the interpretation of Baal’s death: if Baal is not to be regarded as a dying and rising god, what is the significance of his death and return to life? Finally, it looks briefly at the mythology of death and the god of Israel.
David L. McMahan
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195183276
- eISBN:
- 9780199870882
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195183276.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter charts a variegated continuum between traditionalist and modernist Buddhists by providing five composite profiles of Buddhists: a British “Buddhist sympathizer,” a traditional Thai ...
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This chapter charts a variegated continuum between traditionalist and modernist Buddhists by providing five composite profiles of Buddhists: a British “Buddhist sympathizer,” a traditional Thai laywoman, an American dharma teacher, a Tibetan monk, and an Asian modernizer. It then discusses three processes by which modernization has taken place in Buddhism: detraditionalization, whereby authority is internalized and shifted from institutions to individuals; demythologization, in which elements of traditional cosmology, such as the six realms of rebirth, are re-interpreted as mental states; and psychologization, in which unseen beings are translated into psychological phenomena and, more generally, Buddhism comes to be interpreted in terms of western psychology.Less
This chapter charts a variegated continuum between traditionalist and modernist Buddhists by providing five composite profiles of Buddhists: a British “Buddhist sympathizer,” a traditional Thai laywoman, an American dharma teacher, a Tibetan monk, and an Asian modernizer. It then discusses three processes by which modernization has taken place in Buddhism: detraditionalization, whereby authority is internalized and shifted from institutions to individuals; demythologization, in which elements of traditional cosmology, such as the six realms of rebirth, are re-interpreted as mental states; and psychologization, in which unseen beings are translated into psychological phenomena and, more generally, Buddhism comes to be interpreted in terms of western psychology.
Enrico Santangelo
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264133
- eISBN:
- 9780191734649
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264133.003.0007
- Subject:
- Literature, 16th-century and Renaissance Literature
This chapter examines the influence of Dante in Petrarch's Epistolae Familiares. It highlights a series of textual echoes particularly of specific cantos of the Purgatorio in this highly allusive and ...
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This chapter examines the influence of Dante in Petrarch's Epistolae Familiares. It highlights a series of textual echoes particularly of specific cantos of the Purgatorio in this highly allusive and important letter. It suggests that one major difference between Petrarch and Dante's ascent to Mont Ventoux is that Petrarch's journey up the mountain is circuitous and culminates with the discovery of the self and its divisions, while Dante's is vertical and leads to the contemplation of the Deity beyond the self.Less
This chapter examines the influence of Dante in Petrarch's Epistolae Familiares. It highlights a series of textual echoes particularly of specific cantos of the Purgatorio in this highly allusive and important letter. It suggests that one major difference between Petrarch and Dante's ascent to Mont Ventoux is that Petrarch's journey up the mountain is circuitous and culminates with the discovery of the self and its divisions, while Dante's is vertical and leads to the contemplation of the Deity beyond the self.
Francis Cairns
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199558681
- eISBN:
- 9780191720888
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199558681.003.0015
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
The ‘secret name of Rome’ and the identity of the alleged secret protector deity of Rome have long excited scholarly interest. This chapter reconsiders critically the ancient evidence about these ...
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The ‘secret name of Rome’ and the identity of the alleged secret protector deity of Rome have long excited scholarly interest. This chapter reconsiders critically the ancient evidence about these topics and reaches conclusions different from those of most modern scholarship: although the ‘secret name of Rome’ was a matter of speculation at least from Varro on, and the notion of a protector deity current at least by the first century AD, the relevant ancient texts contain errors and inconsistencies that undermine the historical reality of the secret name and protector deity.Less
The ‘secret name of Rome’ and the identity of the alleged secret protector deity of Rome have long excited scholarly interest. This chapter reconsiders critically the ancient evidence about these topics and reaches conclusions different from those of most modern scholarship: although the ‘secret name of Rome’ was a matter of speculation at least from Varro on, and the notion of a protector deity current at least by the first century AD, the relevant ancient texts contain errors and inconsistencies that undermine the historical reality of the secret name and protector deity.
Judith Herrin
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691153216
- eISBN:
- 9781400845217
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691153216.003.0013
- Subject:
- History, World Medieval History
From classical times onward, one of the basic tasks of women was to take care of the household lares, representatives of the ancient gods, whose presence was felt to protect and assist the family. In ...
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From classical times onward, one of the basic tasks of women was to take care of the household lares, representatives of the ancient gods, whose presence was felt to protect and assist the family. In every dwelling with a hearth female members attended these deities with appropriate rituals. In the form of statuettes, often gilded, as well as framed wooden panel paintings, local deities occupied a prominent domestic space long into the Christian era. When the family converted to Christianity the ancient household gods were replaced by Christian icons, which took over the same role and protected the same space. It seems likely that women's responsibility for, and devotion to, the household protectors was transferred from the old deities to the new Christian God. Although there is no direct evidence for a removal of the older representations in order to institute new ones, when icons are later found in a domestic setting, they are in precisely that part of the home that is the particular preserve of women. It is this association between domestic cult and the veneration of icons in Byzantium that this chapter explores.Less
From classical times onward, one of the basic tasks of women was to take care of the household lares, representatives of the ancient gods, whose presence was felt to protect and assist the family. In every dwelling with a hearth female members attended these deities with appropriate rituals. In the form of statuettes, often gilded, as well as framed wooden panel paintings, local deities occupied a prominent domestic space long into the Christian era. When the family converted to Christianity the ancient household gods were replaced by Christian icons, which took over the same role and protected the same space. It seems likely that women's responsibility for, and devotion to, the household protectors was transferred from the old deities to the new Christian God. Although there is no direct evidence for a removal of the older representations in order to institute new ones, when icons are later found in a domestic setting, they are in precisely that part of the home that is the particular preserve of women. It is this association between domestic cult and the veneration of icons in Byzantium that this chapter explores.
Mark S. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195134803
- eISBN:
- 9780199834655
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019513480X.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
As the Bible tells us, ancient Israel's neighbors worshipped a wide variety of Gods. It is now widely accepted that the Israelites’ God, Yahweh, must have originated as among these many, before ...
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As the Bible tells us, ancient Israel's neighbors worshipped a wide variety of Gods. It is now widely accepted that the Israelites’ God, Yahweh, must have originated as among these many, before assuming the role of the one true God of monotheism. Mark Smith seeks in this book to discover more precisely what was meant by “divinity” in the ancient Near East and how these concepts apply to Yahweh. Part I, The Structures of Divinity, offers a detailed examination of the deities of ancient Ugarit (Middle East), known to us from the large surviving group of relevant extra-biblical texts. In Part II, Characteristics of Divinity, Smith looks closely at four classic problems associated with four Ugaritic deities and considers how they affect our understanding of Yahweh. Part III, The Origins of Monotheism in the Bible, returns to the question of Israelite monotheism, seeking to discover what religious issues it addressed and why it made sense at the time of its emergence. Smith argues that within the Bible, monotheism is not a separate “stage” of religion but rather represents a kind of rhetoric reinforcing Israel’s exclusive relation with its deity. Throughout the work, the Ugaritic material is emphasized.Less
As the Bible tells us, ancient Israel's neighbors worshipped a wide variety of Gods. It is now widely accepted that the Israelites’ God, Yahweh, must have originated as among these many, before assuming the role of the one true God of monotheism. Mark Smith seeks in this book to discover more precisely what was meant by “divinity” in the ancient Near East and how these concepts apply to Yahweh. Part I, The Structures of Divinity, offers a detailed examination of the deities of ancient Ugarit (Middle East), known to us from the large surviving group of relevant extra-biblical texts. In Part II, Characteristics of Divinity, Smith looks closely at four classic problems associated with four Ugaritic deities and considers how they affect our understanding of Yahweh. Part III, The Origins of Monotheism in the Bible, returns to the question of Israelite monotheism, seeking to discover what religious issues it addressed and why it made sense at the time of its emergence. Smith argues that within the Bible, monotheism is not a separate “stage” of religion but rather represents a kind of rhetoric reinforcing Israel’s exclusive relation with its deity. Throughout the work, the Ugaritic material is emphasized.
Thomas Holden
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199579945
- eISBN:
- 9780191722776
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199579945.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter defines and introduces the conceptual category of ‘moral atheism’ — i.e. the denial of the existence of a deity with moral attributes — and distinguishes between two main versions of the ...
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This chapter defines and introduces the conceptual category of ‘moral atheism’ — i.e. the denial of the existence of a deity with moral attributes — and distinguishes between two main versions of the position. A ‘weak moral atheist’ rejects the existence of a morally praiseworthy divinity; while a ‘strong moral atheist’ rejects the existence of a morally assessable divinity. The chapter also relates the category of moral atheism to early modern ways of thinking about religion, irreligion, and atheism. It introduces the main interpretive thesis of the book: the claim that Hume is a strong moral atheist. It also addresses a preliminary objection from the lack of explicit textual evidence.Less
This chapter defines and introduces the conceptual category of ‘moral atheism’ — i.e. the denial of the existence of a deity with moral attributes — and distinguishes between two main versions of the position. A ‘weak moral atheist’ rejects the existence of a morally praiseworthy divinity; while a ‘strong moral atheist’ rejects the existence of a morally assessable divinity. The chapter also relates the category of moral atheism to early modern ways of thinking about religion, irreligion, and atheism. It introduces the main interpretive thesis of the book: the claim that Hume is a strong moral atheist. It also addresses a preliminary objection from the lack of explicit textual evidence.
Thomas Holden
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199579945
- eISBN:
- 9780191722776
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199579945.003.0003
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This is the first of two chapters documenting and examining Hume's argument from sentimentalism to moral atheism. The argument appeals to Hume's account of the natural limits of our human passions, ...
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This is the first of two chapters documenting and examining Hume's argument from sentimentalism to moral atheism. The argument appeals to Hume's account of the natural limits of our human passions, along with his sentimentalist metaphysics of morals, in order to conclude that the deity is beyond the projected, response-dependent world of moral properties. The chapter focuses on the first stage of the argument, Hume's claim that the deity is not the ‘natural object’ of any of our passions, including love, hate, gratitude, envy, and the rest. In Hume's view, none of our passions — none of our affective attitudes, none of our intentional feelings, emotions, or sentiments — can be directed toward this sort of transcendental being.Less
This is the first of two chapters documenting and examining Hume's argument from sentimentalism to moral atheism. The argument appeals to Hume's account of the natural limits of our human passions, along with his sentimentalist metaphysics of morals, in order to conclude that the deity is beyond the projected, response-dependent world of moral properties. The chapter focuses on the first stage of the argument, Hume's claim that the deity is not the ‘natural object’ of any of our passions, including love, hate, gratitude, envy, and the rest. In Hume's view, none of our passions — none of our affective attitudes, none of our intentional feelings, emotions, or sentiments — can be directed toward this sort of transcendental being.
Thomas Holden
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199579945
- eISBN:
- 9780191722776
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199579945.003.0004
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This is the second of two chapters examining Hume's argument from sentimentalism to moral atheism. According to the argument, human passions, including our feelings of moral approval and disapproval, ...
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This is the second of two chapters examining Hume's argument from sentimentalism to moral atheism. According to the argument, human passions, including our feelings of moral approval and disapproval, range only so far as the outer frontier of sense and imagination. Given Hume's sentimentalist metaphysics of morals, it follows that the projected properties of virtue and vice are confined to the immanent world, and cannot characterize any transcendental order beyond this permanent horizon: the deity cannot have any moral attributes. It is argued that Hume is committed to this argument, and that he is aware that he is so committed. The chapter also examines possible objections to the argument, and concludes that it is defensible on Hume's own terms.Less
This is the second of two chapters examining Hume's argument from sentimentalism to moral atheism. According to the argument, human passions, including our feelings of moral approval and disapproval, range only so far as the outer frontier of sense and imagination. Given Hume's sentimentalist metaphysics of morals, it follows that the projected properties of virtue and vice are confined to the immanent world, and cannot characterize any transcendental order beyond this permanent horizon: the deity cannot have any moral attributes. It is argued that Hume is committed to this argument, and that he is aware that he is so committed. The chapter also examines possible objections to the argument, and concludes that it is defensible on Hume's own terms.
Thomas Holden
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199579945
- eISBN:
- 9780191722776
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199579945.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter documents and examines Hume's argument from motivation to moral atheism. The argument appeals to Hume's account of the passions as the engines of action along with a form of ...
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This chapter documents and examines Hume's argument from motivation to moral atheism. The argument appeals to Hume's account of the passions as the engines of action along with a form of probabilistic reasoning about the likely character of any first cause or ultimate organizing principle responsible for the ordered universe. According to Hume, even though we know nothing positive about the distinctive intrinsic character of the deity, we can judge it highly unlikely that this ultimate being or principle has the sort of anthropomorphic sentimental psychology required to ground any responsiveness to moral concerns.Less
This chapter documents and examines Hume's argument from motivation to moral atheism. The argument appeals to Hume's account of the passions as the engines of action along with a form of probabilistic reasoning about the likely character of any first cause or ultimate organizing principle responsible for the ordered universe. According to Hume, even though we know nothing positive about the distinctive intrinsic character of the deity, we can judge it highly unlikely that this ultimate being or principle has the sort of anthropomorphic sentimental psychology required to ground any responsiveness to moral concerns.
Thomas Holden
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199579945
- eISBN:
- 9780191722776
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199579945.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter documents and examines Hume's account of the implications of his deterministic ‘doctrine of necessity’ for the moral status of any first cause or designer. There are two main ...
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This chapter documents and examines Hume's account of the implications of his deterministic ‘doctrine of necessity’ for the moral status of any first cause or designer. There are two main conclusions. First, Hume embraces the argument from determinism against duties to God. According to this argument, if there is some such original cause or designer, then it has in effect foreordained every human action, and so cannot reasonably be aggrieved at or offended by those actions. For Hume, the deity cannot then enter into the sort of moralized relations that presuppose the possibility of legitimate grievance or moral offense, and we cannot owe duties to God. Second, it is also argued that, contrary to a popular line of interpretation, Hume's determinism does not commit him to the conclusion that the first cause is the author of our sins in any sense that need compromise the deity's moral character.Less
This chapter documents and examines Hume's account of the implications of his deterministic ‘doctrine of necessity’ for the moral status of any first cause or designer. There are two main conclusions. First, Hume embraces the argument from determinism against duties to God. According to this argument, if there is some such original cause or designer, then it has in effect foreordained every human action, and so cannot reasonably be aggrieved at or offended by those actions. For Hume, the deity cannot then enter into the sort of moralized relations that presuppose the possibility of legitimate grievance or moral offense, and we cannot owe duties to God. Second, it is also argued that, contrary to a popular line of interpretation, Hume's determinism does not commit him to the conclusion that the first cause is the author of our sins in any sense that need compromise the deity's moral character.
M. L. West
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199280759
- eISBN:
- 9780191712913
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199280759.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter discusses gods and goddesses in Indo-European poetry. The Indo-Europeans spoke both about ‘the gods’ collectively and about gods as individuals. They perhaps had their different words ...
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This chapter discusses gods and goddesses in Indo-European poetry. The Indo-Europeans spoke both about ‘the gods’ collectively and about gods as individuals. They perhaps had their different words for different categories of supernatural being. But the most important term, one that has left representatives in nearly all branches of the Indo-European family, was based on the root *diw/dyu, which denoted the bright sky or the light of day. Upper and lower gods, characteristics of divinity, relations with mankind, gods' names, female deities, and mythical themes are discussed.Less
This chapter discusses gods and goddesses in Indo-European poetry. The Indo-Europeans spoke both about ‘the gods’ collectively and about gods as individuals. They perhaps had their different words for different categories of supernatural being. But the most important term, one that has left representatives in nearly all branches of the Indo-European family, was based on the root *diw/dyu, which denoted the bright sky or the light of day. Upper and lower gods, characteristics of divinity, relations with mankind, gods' names, female deities, and mythical themes are discussed.
