Loading...
62nd out of 249 books
—
208 voters
My rating:
add to my books
Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson
In the tradition of grand sweeping histories such as "From Dawn To Decadence," "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions," and "A History of God," Hecht champions doubt and questioning as one of the great and noble, if unheralded, intellectual traditions that distinguish the Western mind especially-from Socrates to Galileo and Darwin to Wittge
...morePaperback
Published
September 7th 2004
by HarperOne
(first published 2003)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,361)
What is it they say? "History is written by the winners."
That is unless you're Howard Zinn ("People's History of the United States") or Jennifer Michael Hecht, writing "Doubt: A History." No, I'm not calling these two "losers," but they definitely adopted Quixotic missions in championing the unspoken viewpoint of "the other side" of history.
And both turned out encyclopedic tomes on their respective topics. But as much ...more
That is unless you're Howard Zinn ("People's History of the United States") or Jennifer Michael Hecht, writing "Doubt: A History." No, I'm not calling these two "losers," but they definitely adopted Quixotic missions in championing the unspoken viewpoint of "the other side" of history.
And both turned out encyclopedic tomes on their respective topics. But as much ...more
Here's a little confession: I'm a doubter. I always have been. And given my very conservative Mormon family and the even more conservative Mormon community I live in, doubt is frowned upon. More than that, it's considered a serious character flaw--something to be ashamed of, purged, and overcome as quickly as possible. Doubt: A History provides an overview of some of the world's most prominent doubters--Socrates, Thomas Jefferson, even Jesus--and describes the crucial roles they played in hi...more
An absorbing history of healthy skepticism through the ages.
Personally, I've always joked that Descartes' "I think, therefore I am" could be "I doubt, therefore I may not be." In reading this book, I realize "I think, therefore something thinks, but it's not necessarily me." Which can ironically lead one to a non-dogmatic spirituality. As an agnostic, I find the claimed certainties of both religion and science to be irksome. As Hecht has in her book (it ...more
Personally, I've always joked that Descartes' "I think, therefore I am" could be "I doubt, therefore I may not be." In reading this book, I realize "I think, therefore something thinks, but it's not necessarily me." Which can ironically lead one to a non-dogmatic spirituality. As an agnostic, I find the claimed certainties of both religion and science to be irksome. As Hecht has in her book (it ...more
This is a hefty, dense tome. There's a lot of quality analysis, history and argument here, but the problem with a book like this is that it's a 'preaching to the choir' sort of exercise.
People who are already somewhat doubtful of established cultural institutions will be nodding in agreement and amusement all the way through, and will likely already be familiar with much of the historical and philosophical background the book provides, but those who have a more reverent attitude tow...more
People who are already somewhat doubtful of established cultural institutions will be nodding in agreement and amusement all the way through, and will likely already be familiar with much of the historical and philosophical background the book provides, but those who have a more reverent attitude tow...more
I have nearly reached the end and I know I will be starting again when I finish. I enjoy Jennifer's writing style very much. It feels to me like we're two friends walking though a museum and she's giving me the guided tour of my life. She speaks to me in a conversational tone opening up my mind to the secret history of thought. I'm relishing in the choice bits she chooses to quote, like handpicked produce from the grower. She hasn't grabbed the bag of discount apples from a supermarket like ...more
view 1 comment
Definitely enjoying.. a lot!
So far the chapter on Buddhism has given me the most to think about. Overall this book has morphed my thinking a little into... why can't pieces of doubt come together? I think doubt can shape the way we practice whatever it is we believe. Perhaps what formed from doubt in the Greek gods led to athiesm, but the nontheistic philosophies include meditation and oneness of self and connection with nature and things we could all experience no matter what God or...more
So far the chapter on Buddhism has given me the most to think about. Overall this book has morphed my thinking a little into... why can't pieces of doubt come together? I think doubt can shape the way we practice whatever it is we believe. Perhaps what formed from doubt in the Greek gods led to athiesm, but the nontheistic philosophies include meditation and oneness of self and connection with nature and things we could all experience no matter what God or...more
I bought the book shortly after it was first published. I skimmed it, read the first chapter and set it aside. Time to read it through. I heard the author interviewed on "Speaking of Faith" and was intrigued by her premise for the book.
A fascinating look at doubt through ages of human civilization. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in the history of free thought.
It took me considerable time to read, taking a small section at a time. It's a book I...more
A fascinating look at doubt through ages of human civilization. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in the history of free thought.
It took me considerable time to read, taking a small section at a time. It's a book I...more
I have yet to read a book by Ms. Hecht that I didn't find very thought provoking. For an agnostic like myself, this was a enlightening journey through millenia of the history of doubt over religious dogma and theology. It contains more fantasticly memorable and stimulating passages than I'll attempt to repeat here.
It was incredibly affirming to read that renowned persons from hundreds or even thousands of years ago were expressing the exact same doubts that have marked my personal phil...more
It was incredibly affirming to read that renowned persons from hundreds or even thousands of years ago were expressing the exact same doubts that have marked my personal phil...more
Dianne
is currently reading it
Only a couple of chapters in so far, and I can already see that Ms. Hecht is a lively but carefully original thinker. Just a couple of examples:
- She characterizes the work of the Cynics, Stoics, Epicureans, and Skeptics as some of the first self-help books in the West. I find this notion appealing, as it shows that supposedly pie-in-the-sky philosophy is actually deeply relevant to how we live, while simultaneously ennobling the much-maligned desire of human beings to read self-help ...more
- She characterizes the work of the Cynics, Stoics, Epicureans, and Skeptics as some of the first self-help books in the West. I find this notion appealing, as it shows that supposedly pie-in-the-sky philosophy is actually deeply relevant to how we live, while simultaneously ennobling the much-maligned desire of human beings to read self-help ...more
steve ross
rated it
Recommends it for:
everyone with a working mind
Shelves:
nonfiction-essay,
history
Combines atheistic philosophy with poetic craft. Unlike many of the recent atheist-rants, Hecht’s history is a work of actual persuasive-writing, and its call for our stepping past religion, mainly because her argument is so effortless, is powerful. She’s a cool, welcoming voice to the fold of irreligion, and this is the only book I’d truly recommend to a religious person. Non-combative, though calculated, Doubt is fascinating, instructive, and bolstering.
Wow! This book is amazing at giving a history of doubt. I have always thought that skepticism and doubt was a big minority in the world (it still is). However, it's the second largest "belief" in the world (the first is Christianity). This book could be used as a text book in class, but it doesn't have that dryness to it that other text books have. I wish that this book was longer so that Hecht could delve into greater detail about doubt into these great thinkers.
Amazing overview of philosophy from the perspective of doubt! Definitely worth the time and thought on the part of a reader. I would have given 5 stars except that the latest generation of atheists seemed to be glossed over fairly quickly-- I see many of them as superficial and not well-grounded in their own tradition. Also, it would have been interesting for her to have given a little more explanation of how she jumped from the stance of saying throughout the book that the "God as Unive...more
A good read, but more importantly, a really solid education; Not simply in terms of the history of doubters, but the history of, well, thought. Of philosophy. For someone who didn't quite get the education he might have liked, this book is a great tour through different ways of thinking about the world, freed from the gauze and blur of supernaturalism.
I have never learned so much from ONE book.
Jennifer Michael Hecht'a comprehension of history and philosophy is staggering. The "doubt" of which she speaks is the history of the doubting of God and gods in human thought and society. She goes from the ancient Greeks like Epicurus to Job to Lucretius to Thomas Jefferson to George Carlin and everyone else in between. Her wit and wisdom are evident on every page. I actually high-lighted this book as I read it. If you are a belie...more
Jennifer Michael Hecht'a comprehension of history and philosophy is staggering. The "doubt" of which she speaks is the history of the doubting of God and gods in human thought and society. She goes from the ancient Greeks like Epicurus to Job to Lucretius to Thomas Jefferson to George Carlin and everyone else in between. Her wit and wisdom are evident on every page. I actually high-lighted this book as I read it. If you are a belie...more
Insightful and interesting, as well as sweeping in scope. My only complaint is that Hecht sort of drops the ball towards the end. Doubt is the questioning of the established view, and when, in modern day, the established view is doubt, it seemed to me appropo to look at faith as doubt.
But that's just me.
But that's just me.
Typically we measure a time period in history according to the heroes or champions of the day; instead, the author argues, it's really those who were the "doubters" that we should be looking at...for those are the people that affected change.
I have no words to describe the brilliance and execution here. If the title causes even the least spark of interest for you, read this book. I'm sure this will be one of the most well-loved books on my shelves for the rest of my life.
An excellent, readable, throughly researched and noted history of religious doubt. Great general reference book for those interested in countering the bile that spews from the mouths and keyboards of the religious wrong.
Peter
is currently reading it
Every year on my visit to Taipei I buy a book of philosophy at the Eslite bookstore - as a kind of homage to how wonderful their selection of philosophy titles is (even if they no longer stock French and German originals along with Chinese and English translations). I was considering Habermas' latest collection of pieces from Verso, as well as a Isaiah Berlin on Romanticism, but then decided on this - just because I thought it would look good on my bookshelf.
I have to say I am utterly...more
I have to say I am utterly...more
This book is a joy to read for so many reasons that there's no point any even bothering to explain it. Just read it. You'll see what I mean.
Puts a lot of things in context. Very readable and most thought-provoking. Highly recommended for thinking people everywhere.
Wonderful! A survey of history which was quite complete and integrated. I highly recommend this book and this author.
I am currently on page 153, and I am already very disappointed with this book. I had very high hopes for it -- the title alone sounded wonderful -- but the quality of the prose is terrible. I am surprised Jennifer Hecht's editors approved the manuscript. Furthermore, I am still not completely sure what, exactly, the topic of the book is. Is it the history of doubt in religion, or the history of skepticism? Is it the history of doubt related to notions of God? I am going to finish _Doubt: A...more
I cannot believe I read this whole book but I really did. I heard her on Speaking of Faith and bought this book and also The Myth of Happiness.
This book is full of wonderful information, both historical and thematic. When she argues that even Jesus was a doubter and that doubt is a great fertilizer for ideas and wisdom, she is persuasive.
But, just flipping through the book after I've read it is delightful, because the book is so full of quotations, insights and spirituality that is...more
This book is full of wonderful information, both historical and thematic. When she argues that even Jesus was a doubter and that doubt is a great fertilizer for ideas and wisdom, she is persuasive.
But, just flipping through the book after I've read it is delightful, because the book is so full of quotations, insights and spirituality that is...more
This book presents an encompassing story of religious doubt throughout the ages. Looking at the history of religion through the eyes of the great doubters and the various philosophies of doubt was a great way to understand the past 3,000 years. My only criticism is that, at times, there was a bit more detail than I personally needed, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the entire book and would recommend it to anyone interested in understanding not only the history of religion, but also insights on...more
still working on it...long book, good
Like most historiographic work, Doubt stirred within me both fascination and incredulity. Exhaustively researched, this book covers over 2000 years of documented social quo resistance, and it's in this that I find my difficulty with the text's premiss. While both the Cārvāka, an ancient anti-religious Indian (read: India, not America) tradition of extreme skepticism, and early Christianity, a highly spiritual and faith-driven belief system, may both have been the rebellious red-headed stepchil...more
J. Dunn
rated it
I probably should have read the reviews better on this. I was hoping it would be a broader look at the role of doubt, skepticism, and critical thinking in all aspects of history. Really, it's just an intellectual and cultural history of atheism and agnosticism that the publisher was afraid to market as such.
On those terms, it's decent. I learned about a lot of more minor figures in the history of freethought that I hadn't come across before, and got quite a bit more context for the m...more
On those terms, it's decent. I learned about a lot of more minor figures in the history of freethought that I hadn't come across before, and got quite a bit more context for the m...more
This book changed my life. I literally took a month to read, highlight, take notes--Hecht is an excellent scholar, and she has done an amazing job of honoring the history of those who QUESTION. She explains that she wanted people to know that doubt has its own existence, not just in response to belief but as a quest for truths that may never be found. Albert Einstein once said, "The important thing is not to stop questioning"--and that's her central point. The subtitle of the book is r...more
Summing up nearly 3000 years of history on a subject as vast as 'doubt' is certainly an undertaking (one Hecht just manages to pull off) and at times the books does feel like a mere laundry-list of freethinkers, many of their names I have already forgotten. But other sections (like her attention to freethinking women throughout the ages) more than make up for it. Some sections seem far too brief (almost dumbed down) but I suppose if they weren't this book would be about 3000 pages.
...more
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| interested? | 1 | 18 | Apr 24, 2008 02:23pm |
Readers Also Enjoyed
Jennifer Michael Hecht is a poet, historian, philosopher, and author.
More about Jennifer Michael Hecht...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Prayer is based on the remote possibility that someone is actually listening; but so is a lot of conversation. If the former seems far-fetcher, consider the latter: even if someone is listening to your story, and really hearing, that person will disappear from existence in the blink of a cosmic eye, so why bother to tell this perhaps illusory and possibly un-listening person something he or she is unlikely to truly understand, just before the two of you blip back out of existence? We like to talk to people who answer us, intelligently if possible, but we do talk without needing response or expecting comprehension. Sometimes, the event is the word, the act of speaking. Once we pull that apart a bit, the action of talking becomes more important than the question of whether the talking is working-because we know, going in, that the talking is not working. That said, one might as well pray.”
—
2 people liked it
“Plato offers the amazing idea that contemplation of the way things really are is, in itself, a purifying process that can bring human beings into the only divinity there is.”
—
1 person liked it
More quotes…
