atheism Quick reference
World Encyclopedia
... Philosophical denial of the existence of God or any supernatural or spiritual being. Early Christians were called atheists because they denied Roman religions, but the term now usually indicates the denial of Christian theism. During the 18th-century Enlightenment , David Hume , Immanuel Kant , and the Encyclopedists laid the foundations for atheism. In the 19th century, Karl Marx , Friedrich Nietzsche , and Sigmund Freud all accommodated some form of atheism into their respective philosophies. Today many individuals and groups advocate atheism. ...
freethinkers Quick reference
World Encyclopedia
...religion, are not influenced by canon law or dogma. The original freethinkers were part of a post-Reformation movement that sought to assert reason over religious authority. Deism emerged as the chief expression of freethought during the 17th and 18th centuries. See also atheism ; ...
god Quick reference
World Encyclopedia
... is God of Islam and Yahweh is God of Judaism. Christianity , a monotheistic religion, conceives of one God with three elements - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Hinduism , Brahma is considered the soul of the world, but there are lesser gods. See also agnosticism ; atheism ; Deism ; monotheism ; ...
agnosticism Quick reference
World Encyclopedia
...is impossible either to demonstrate or refute the existence of a supreme being or ultimate cause on the basis of available evidence. It was particularly associated with the rationalism of Thomas Huxley and is used as a reasoned basis for the rejection of both Christianity and atheism...
humanism Quick reference
World Encyclopedia
..., spreading from Italy to other parts of Europe. Early adherents included Petrarch and Erasmus . Modern humanism developed as an alternative to traditional Christian beliefs. This movement, associated with social reform, was championed by Bertrand Russell . See also atheism ; ...
Diderot, Denis (1713–84) Quick reference
World Encyclopedia
.... A friend of Rousseau , he was imprisoned briefly ( 1749 ) for irreligious writings. He broadened the scope of the Encyclopédie and with d᾽ Alembert recruited contributors, such as Voltaire . As a philosopher, Diderot progressed from Christianity through deism to atheism . His books On the Interpretation of Nature ( 1754 ) and D᾽Alembert's Dream ( 1769 ) reveal his scientific materialism . Jacques the Fatalist ( 1796 ) and Rameau's Nephew illustrate his determinism . He wrote plays, and art and literary...
Britain: c. 800,000 years ago - 2011
...of Earth Sciences 3 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Science Life sciences Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe 1811 1811 Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from Oxford university for circulating a pamphlet with the title The Necessity of Atheism Shelley, Percy Bysshe (1792–1822) World Encyclopedia 1 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Literature in English Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe 1811 1811 English author Jane Austen publishes her first work in...
British Isles: c. 800,000 years ago - 2011
...A Dictionary of Earth Sciences 3 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Science Life sciences Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Europe Britain 1811 1811 Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from Oxford university for circulating a pamphlet with the title The Necessity of Atheism Shelley, Percy Bysshe (1792–1822) World Encyclopedia 1 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Literature in English Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Europe Britain 1811 1811 English author Jane Austen publishes her first work in print, ...
Europe: c. 800,000 years ago - 2011
...the number of molecules in gases, that becomes known as Avogadro's Law Avogadro's law A Dictionary of Physics 6 19th century Science Chemistry Italy 1811 1811 Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from Oxford university for circulating a pamphlet with the title The Necessity of Atheism Shelley, Percy Bysshe (1792–1822) World Encyclopedia 1 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Literature in English Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Britain 1811 1811 English author Jane Austen publishes her first work in...