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/9780199579945.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter defends the interpretation of Hume as a moral atheist against the objection that Hume's own mitigated scepticism rules out such dogmatic commitments in natural theology. According to ...
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This chapter defends the interpretation of Hume as a moral atheist against the objection that Hume's own mitigated scepticism rules out such dogmatic commitments in natural theology. According to this objection, Hume could be a moral agnostic, perhaps, but not a moral atheist. In response it is argued, by way of a series of examples taken from Hume's texts, that his scepticism does not in fact rule out all speculation about the deity. Since these examples include, inter alia, each of Hume's arguments for moral atheism, the chapter also provides a preview of his overall case for establishing divine amorality.Less
This chapter defends the interpretation of Hume as a moral atheist against the objection that Hume's own mitigated scepticism rules out such dogmatic commitments in natural theology. According to this objection, Hume could be a moral agnostic, perhaps, but not a moral atheist. In response it is argued, by way of a series of examples taken from Hume's texts, that his scepticism does not in fact rule out all speculation about the deity. Since these examples include, inter alia, each of Hume's arguments for moral atheism, the chapter also provides a preview of his overall case for establishing divine amorality.
