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The Natural History of Religion

David Hume

Published: 1757

Copytext: 1777

The first more or less complete edition of Hume's Essays and Treatises on Several Subjects, his collected philosophical works, was published in 1758, although each of its component works were published separately before then, and an incomplete version (predating the Four Dissertations) was published in 1753. Our copytext is the posthumous edition of 1777, which Hume was working on before he died, and which contains many final alterations.

Hume.ETSS.NHR

THE

NATURAL HISTORY

OF

RELIGION.

IntroductionSection 1. That Polytheism was the primary Religion of MenSection 2. Origin of PolytheismSection 3. The same subject continuedSection 4. Deities not considered as creators or formers of the worldSection 5. Various Forms of Polytheism: Allegory, Hero-WorshipSection 6. Origin of Theism from PolytheismSection 7. Confirmation of this DoctrineSection 8. Flux and reflux of polytheism and theismSection 9. Comparison of these Religions, with regard to Persecution and TolerationSection 10. With regard to courage or abasementSection 11. With regard to reason or absurditySection 12. With regard to Doubt or ConvictionSection 13. Impious conceptions of the divine nature in popular religions of both kindsSection 14. Bad influence of popular religions on moralitySection 15. General Corollary