Modern Skepticism

Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 734K words
Chapters: 74

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.Modern Skepticism by Harrowby, Ellicott, and Christian Evidence SocietyAuthor: ,Language: English, Class: BL: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Religion: General, Miscellaneous and Atheism, Release Date: Jun 16, 2013

Editor's review

Modern Skepticism is a collection of essays debating skepticism and Christian faith, written by Harrowby, Ellicott, and others and associated with the Christian Evidence Society, falling within the scope of philosophy of religion and apologetics. The issues it addresses include the reasonableness of a skeptical attitude, the evidential basis of faith, and the challenges modern thought poses to traditional religious ideas. For today's readers, its value lies more at the historical and intellectual-history level: it offers a window into how intellectuals of a given period conducted dialogue between rational scrutiny and confessional commitment, and into the common patterns and rhetorical style of apologetic argument. It should be noted that the book carries an explicit Christian apologetic stance and is not a neutral introduction to skeptical philosophy. It is best read as a specimen of debate, alongside neutral works on skepticism and introductions to philosophy of religion, so as to see clearly the presuppositions and argumentative boundaries of both sides and avoid mistaking one party's case for the whole picture.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and students studying the history of modern religious thought and the apologetic tradition
Philosophy enthusiasts interested in the relationship between skepticism and faith
Readers who wish to understand the modes of Christian apologetic argument
Researchers who need primary intellectual-history sources for teaching or writing

Not a good fit for

Introductory readers looking for a neutral, systematic introduction to skeptical philosophy
Readers expecting cutting-edge contemporary discussions in philosophy of religion
Readers who struggle with English and need modern translation and annotation

Reading tips

Read the introduction or table of contents first to clarify each essay's authorial stance and debate target, then read essay by essay.
Read alongside a neutral introduction to skeptical philosophy and mark the differences in presuppositions between the two sides' arguments.
Jot down the types of apologetic argument as you go, to facilitate later intellectual-history organization and citation.
When encountering historical figures and events, verify the relevant historical sources before judging whether an argument holds.

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

Does this book introduce skepticism neutrally?

No. The book is associated with the Christian Evidence Society and carries an explicit Christian apologetic stance; it discusses skepticism mainly to respond to its challenge to faith. It is better read as a polemical document than as a neutral introduction to skeptical philosophy. To gain a comprehensive understanding of skepticism, one needs to pair it with other works that are neutral or lean toward skepticism.

Do the arguments in the book still have reference value today?

They still have value as a historical document. The book presents the typical lines of reasoning, vocabulary, and argumentative structure of apologetics in a given period, which is helpful for studying the history of religious thought and understanding the trajectory of discussions on the relationship between faith and reason. But its specific evidence and scientific background belong to the past, and transplanting them directly into contemporary discussion requires caution; it is best used alongside contemporary philosophy of religion literature.

What is the nature of the Christian Evidence Society in the author attribution?

According to the book's information, it is a collection of essays associated with the Christian Evidence Society, with authors including Harrowby, Ellicott, and others. The society's name itself indicates that its purpose relates to the evidential defense of Christian faith, so the book's overall tone is to respond to skepticism from a Christian standpoint. Readers should take this background into account and understand the starting point and boundaries of its arguments.

Can I understand it without a background in philosophy of religion?

It can be read, but some preparation is needed. The book involves concepts such as skepticism, evidence, and the rationality of belief, and the English text has a 19th-century polemical style. It is advisable to first acquire some basic knowledge of philosophy of religion and modern intellectual history; while reading, slow down, work through the argument structure paragraph by paragraph, and look up names and events promptly for smoother comprehension.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Project Gutenberg Author

Project Gutenberg is not a single author but a nonprofit digital library founded by Michael Hart in 1971 and one of the world's earliest free ebook platforms. It relies on volunteers to digitize, proofread, and freely distribute public-domain works and is now operated by the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Its collection contains 2,692 works, mainly religious texts, epics, and story collections, including the King James Bible and the Douay-Rheims volumes, the epic Mahabharata, a literal translation of the Arabian Nights, and Danish editions of the Old and New Testaments. Public information is limited, and its nature is closer to a public-interest compiling and dissemination body; these texts are open to the public, easy to consult and circulate, and have had a profound influence on the spread of ebooks and the preservation of public-domain resources.