Rationalism

John Mackinnon RobertsonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 108K words
Chapters: 11

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Rationalism by J. M. Robertson. Author: Robertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon), 1856–1933. Language: English. Class: B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion. Release Date: Apr 11, 2010.

Editor's review

J. M. Robertson was a key writer in the British rationalist movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and this Rationalism is his popular treatise expounding that current of thought. The book discusses reason as the basis of knowledge and judgment, touching on the relationship between faith, authority, and free thought, and it has a distinctly polemical character. As a public-domain ebook, its value lies in offering Chinese readers a window onto modern British secularizing thought and helping them understand how rationalism defined itself in public debate. It should be read as a text in intellectual history rather than a contemporary philosophical introduction, with attention to the author's period standpoint and polemical targets; judgments on religion and reason can be kept at a critical distance and read against other perspectives. Suitable for readers interested in modern intellectual history, the legacy of the Enlightenment, and secularization, to be studied in sections.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in modern British intellectual history and secularization
Beginners who want to understand the basic claims and polemical style of the rationalist movement
Students who need a public-domain intellectual-history text as course supplementary material
General readers who enjoy polemical essays and are willing to keep a critical distance

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic contemporary philosophy textbook or rigorous argumentative training
Readers who want a neutral perspective from religious studies rather than a polemical stance
Light readers impatient with nineteenth-century English essayistic style

Reading tips

Read the introduction or first chapter first to grasp the author's definition of rationalism and his polemical targets, then move into the specific chapters
Mark the author's period assumptions as you read, distinguishing claims situated in historical context from questions open to general discussion
Read alongside concise materials on the Enlightenment or Victorian religious controversy to establish a background frame of reference
After each chapter, summarize the core argument in your own words to test whether you have truly understood its argumentative logic

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no background in philosophy?

Not very suitable for complete beginners. It assumes some background knowledge of modern intellectual history and religious controversy, and its polemical targets need to be understood. If interested, it is recommended to read a concise introduction to modern Western philosophy or intellectual history first, then return to this book for a smoother experience.

Is rationalism pejorative or commendatory in this book?

The author Robertson writes from a rationalist standpoint and treats it with affirmation and defense. But readers should recognize that this is a polemical text, not a neutral overview; only by understanding its stance and then comparing other perspectives can one form a balanced judgment.

What should be noted when reading the English public-domain edition?

The text is a late-nineteenth-century English essay, with rather complex syntax, and some polemical targets are unfamiliar to modern readers. It is recommended to read in sections and look up background diligently, without forcing yourself to finish in one sitting; unfamiliar names and events can be skipped at first, as long as you grasp the overall line of argument.

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About the author

John Mackinnon Robertson Author · British · 1856–1933

John Mackinnon Robertson (1856–1933) was a British journalist, rationalist and Liberal politician, born on the Isle of Arran in Scotland, who served as MP for a Tyneside constituency from 1906 to 1918. Succeeding Charles Bradlaugh, he edited the National Reformer, and his writings span politics, economics and comparative religion. The library holds ten of his works, including the two-volume A Short History of Freethought, The Historical Jesus: A Survey of Positions, A Short History of Christianity, Rationalism, The Evolution of States, The Jesus Problem: A Restatement of the Myth Theory, and a record of Bradlaugh's life and work. An advocate of the Jesus myth theory, he wrote in a argumentative style and had considerable influence in secularist and freethought circles.