Hume: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
02/28/2019
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, by David Hume (1711-1776), was first published in 1779. The choice of the dialogue form, modelled on Cicero, as well as its posthumous appearance, reflected the work's far reaching implications for contemporary religious authority.
The three central characters are Cleanthes, an 'experimental theist', typical of eighteenth century progressive theologians, Demea, a traditionalist mystic, and Philo, a radical sceptic, whose views are often taken to be closest to Hume's own. While there is some debate over whether Hume's position entailed strict athiesm, or allowed for some philsopophical conceptions of God such as deism, he is generally seen as hostile to organised religion.
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Free online texts
Early Modern Texts: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, adapted and translated into modern English, by Jonathan Bennett. PDF format.
Gutenberg: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. Multiple formats.
Internet Archive: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, edited by Henry D. Aitken (Hafner Library of Classics, 1948). Multiple formats.
University of Adelaide: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. Multiple formats.
Wikisource: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. HTML and other formats.
Audio Resources
Librivox: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion - Public domain audiobook
Philosophy - The Classics: Hume - Dialogues. Podcast with Nigel Warburton.
Other Resources
BBC Radio 4 In Our Time: David Hume. Melvyn Bragg with Peter Millican, Helen Beebee and James Harris.
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: David Hume (1711-1776) - Hume on Religion.
PhilPapers: Hume - Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion - bibliography with open access option.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: David Hume - Hume on Religion.
Wikipedia: David Hume - Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
The Great Conversation: Further reading at Tom's Learning Notes
Hume: A Treatise of Human Nature.
Hume: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.
Hume: An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals.
Hume: Natural History of Religion.
Cicero: On the Nature of the Gods - a key model for Hume's dialogue.
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