Ian Ramsey Centre: The Deist Controversy

The final lecture gives an overview of the second part of Hume’s argument in ‘Of Miracles’, with responses from William Adams, George Campbell, Peter Bayne, and John Douglas.

The second in this series on Hume explicates the details of his argument and gives an explanation of the argument in part one, as well as responses from Hume’s contemporary, William Adam, and the Mathematician Charles Babbage.

Here begins the discussion of David Hume, especially his essay ‘Of Miracles’ from his Philosophical Essays. This lecture includes differing interpretations for the argument Hume is making in part one of his essay.

This lecture wraps up the discussion of Dodwell, containing more of his thoughts, and reactions to them from Philip Doddridge and John Leland, with additional comments on the connection between Dodwell and David Hume.

This lecture continues Annet’s response to the Tryal of the Witnesses and a rebuttal of him by Charles Moss. Another subject covered is the work of Henry Dodwell Jr and his arguments against using reason as a basis for Christianity.

This lecture details the ideas of two popular Deists, Thomas Chubb and Peter Annet, as well as responses by Caleb Fleming, Jonathan Edwards, and John Leland.

The Anglican Bishop Joseph Butler’s Analogy of Religion, an important and influential work in the Deist controversy, is the content of this lecture.

This lecture is primarily about the work of the Deist Matthew Tindal, and a possible influence of his in Fleetwood. Also included are his detractors, John Conybeare and James Foster.

The Tryal of the Witnesses of the Resurrection by Thomas Sherlock is the focus of this lecture. Sherlock’s work is a thorough refutation of Woolston’s Sixth Discourse. The Tryal is in the form of a mock trial and was very popular.

This lecture continues the discussion of Collins, but also adds the thoughts of Thomas Woolston and his Discourses on the Miracles of Our Saviour. Included also are responses from Chandler and Zachary Pierce.

This lecture focuses on Anthony Collins, one of the major figures in the Deist movement, and includes responses by Bentley, Leland, and Chandler. The modern scholar Richard Hays is discussed as an extension of Chandler’s arguments.

This lecture is primarily about the thoughts of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the Earl of Shaftsbury, with a connection to modern thoughts along the same lines. Also, Shaftesbury’s thoughts are here scrutinized by Brown.

This lecture continues the early response to Deism with Richard Baxter, including his view of the relationship between faith and reason, plus Locke, Halyburton, and Leslie. The thoughts of the Deist John Toland are also discussed.

This lecture begins a detailed discussion of Deistic thought, starting with the early Deists, Herbert of Cherbury, later plagiarized in Charles Blount’s Reglio Laici, and Baruch Spinoza, with responses from Stillingfleet and Boyle.

In this lecture Dr McGrew gives a short history of philosophy and religion, especially the lesser known figures, which affected and influenced the thoughts of the authors involved in the Deist controversy.

This lecture is a quick summary of the history of science from Aristotle to Newton. Dr McGrew also includes a brief discussion of why the history of science is important to the Deist controversy.

This lecture is a brief introduction to the political and religious climate in England which set the backdrop to the Deist controversy.

The first lecture gives a brief overview of the Deist controversy, what Deism is, and when the controversy was. This also includes an introduction to some of the major authors involved on both sides of the discussion.