David Hume

The Natural History of Religion David Hume

This is the first essay in the 'Four Dissertations'; a collection of four essays by the Scottish enlightenment philosopher David Hume. In 'The Natural History of Religion', he pioneers a naturalist account of the causes, effects, and historical development of religious belief. He further argues that monotheism arises from competition between religions, as believers seek to distinguish their deities as superior to all rivals. The monotheist drive to dominate other beliefs, and to burnish the primitive, emotional core of religion under a veneer of theology, Hume concludes that this yields intolerance, intellectual dishonesty, and unnatural moral doctrines.