Colloque

Les Dialogues sur la religion naturelle comme sociologie de la connaissance

Gerardo López

Membre a labase

Gerardo López

Résumé du colloque

I will suggest the idea that the kind of philosophy and reasonings that one of the characters of the work, Demea, introduces can be connected with the religious perspective of one of the parties of the Church of Scotland. The Conservative Party, called by his enemies the "Zealots" or "Highflyers". On the contrary, the presentation of the design argument by Cleanthes (conjoining a newtonian reasoning by analogy with a common-sense version) his unability to understand the terrible presence of evil in the world, and his confidence in the value of scientific enquiry, make him an excellent exponent of the Moderate Party of the Church. Philo views these differences "from the outside" and through a changing policy of alliances shows the inconsistencies of both perspectives. This is the triumph of skepticism over religion.