deism

Deism ( or ; derived from the Latin term deus, meaning "god") is the philosophical position and rationalistic theology that rejects prophecies, revelations, and religious texts as legitimate or reliable sources of divine knowledge, and instead asserts that empirical reason and observation of the natural world are exclusively logical, reliable, and sufficient to determine the existence of a Supreme Being as the creator of the universe.

AI overview

Deism is a philosophical belief that rejects religious texts and revelations, instead relying on reason and observation of nature to understand God and creation. It matters because it represents an influential approach to faith that prioritizes rational thinking over traditional religious authority, shaping how many people have understood the relationship between science, reason, and belief in God.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Show 1 more fact

Commons category: Deism

Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~37 min read

Article

33 sections

Contents

Early developments
Ancient history
Early Pandeism and Deism
Defining of ''Deism''
Herbert of Cherbury and early English Deism
{{anchor|The rise of British deism (1690–1740)}}The peak of Deism (1696–1801)
Other early rational theologies
Enlightenment Deism
Aspects of Deism in Enlightenment philosophy
The origins of religion
Immortality of the soul
Miracles and divine providence
Freedom and necessity
David Hume
Deism in the United States
Deist Founding Fathers of the United States
Deism in France and continental Europe
Decline of Enlightenment Deism
Contemporary Deism
Recent philosophical discussions of Deism
Deism in Nazi Germany
Deism in Turkey
Contemporary Deism in the United States
See also
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
Histories
Primary sources
Secondary sources
Further reading
External links

Unlike classical theism, Deism is the belief in the existence of a creator God who simply does not intervene anymore after creating the universe, solely based on rational thought and without any reliance on revealed religions or religious authorities. Therefore, Deism emphasizes the concept of natural theology—that is, God's existence is revealed through nature itself. Deistical thinking has existed since ancient times, and the roots of Deism are often traced back to the several ancient eastern and Greek philosophical ideals such as Stoicism, while also being influenced by other rational theologies.