Hume's Natural History of Religion

Abstract

Even though The Natural History of Religion has been said to be one of the first books in the history of religions, it is not much studied for interpreting Hume's philosophy taken as a whole. Nevertheless, its structure is quite clear: after specifying the purpose of the work by distinguishing between the question of the foundation of religion in reason and the question of its origin in human nature, Hume goes over the story of the evolution of religion, from polytheism—its primitive form—to theism (sections I-VIII). He then develops a comparison between these two kinds of religion, evaluating them from several points of view, and closes with a rather whimsical conclusion emphasizing the necessity of scepticism in these matters. The Natural History is written in an easy style and the reader enjoys its progression. Hume uses the same method of composition as the one he had tested with success in several of his Essays: a claim is put forth; then the proof is provided, which mixes some historical material with more abstract arguments; finally, several general considerations are stated, which are supposed to be profitable to the public. But if we try to understand the text more systematically and attempt to rationalize its composition or its argumentation, we cannot help feeling at a loss to determine Hume's real intentions and to precisely evaluate the Natural History's general import. Of course, it could be said that we ought not overestimate the meaning of the Natural History nor look for more than what could be appreciated by an eighteenth century reader, i.e., look for more than what can be expected from

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