Hume’s psychology of religion
Willem Lemmens
Routledge eBooks October 26, 2018 DOI: 10.4324/9781138323032-14 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Hume's psychology of religion, developed in the Natural History of Religion, is integral to his philosophy of mind in the Treatise and tied to his moral critique of religion. On this account, religious belief arises not from reason but from fear and anxiety prompted by the precariousness of human existence and unpredictable nature, making religion a product of imagination and cultural evolution. |
Abstract
This chapter presents Hume’s account of the origins of religious belief as developed in his Natural History of Religion . It shows, first of all, how Hume’s psychology of religion forms an integral part of his philosophy of mind in the Treatise of Human Nature . Second, it elucidates how Hume’s psychology of religion is interwoven with his moral critique of religion. Religion stems not from an original rational belief in the existence of a Deity or plurality of deities. Rather, it has its roots in the passions of fear and anxiety, caused by the whimsical condition of human existence and the unpredictable forces of nature. Religious beliefs are, in short, not derived from reason but the product of human imagination and cultural evolution.