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Atheism in Pagan Antiquity
Excerpt from Atheism in Pagan Antiquity
A difficulty that occurred at the very beginning of the inquiry was how to define the notion of atheism. Nowadays the term is taken to designate the attitude which denies every idea of God. Even antiquity sometimes referred to atheism in this sense but an inquiry dealing with the history of religion could not start from a definition of that kind. It would have to keep in View, not the philosophical notion of God, but the conceptions of the gods as they appear in the religion of antiquity. Hence I came to define atheism in Pagan antiquity as the point of view which denies the existence of the ancient gods. It is in this sense that the word will be used in the following inquiry.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
A difficulty that occurred at the very beginning of the inquiry was how to define the notion of atheism. Nowadays the term is taken to designate the attitude which denies every idea of God. Even antiquity sometimes referred to atheism in this sense but an inquiry dealing with the history of religion could not start from a definition of that kind. It would have to keep in View, not the philosophical notion of God, but the conceptions of the gods as they appear in the religion of antiquity. Hence I came to define atheism in Pagan antiquity as the point of view which denies the existence of the ancient gods. It is in this sense that the word will be used in the following inquiry.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
188 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1919
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 13, 2010
Drachman defines "atheism" functionally in this book as disbelief in the pagan divinities. He traces the concept from notions of ungodliness to the later, more philosophical, rejection of the pagan divinities themselves, but leaves room, by his functional definition, for the "atheism" of the monotheists in the Jewish and later Christian traditions.
I obtained this book and others while moving Ares Publishers from Chicago to Golden, Colorado. They have since, after several years in the foothills of the Rockies, returned to the Chicago area.
I obtained this book and others while moving Ares Publishers from Chicago to Golden, Colorado. They have since, after several years in the foothills of the Rockies, returned to the Chicago area.
October 4, 2014
I loved the plot of the book
June 9, 2025
Not It.
If you are looking for an easy read, this is not it. This book is deep, and it's so wonderful. A. B. Bachmann has put together a magnificent piece of wok. Great explanation of the beginning of religion and not religion at all.
If you are looking for an easy read, this is not it. This book is deep, and it's so wonderful. A. B. Bachmann has put together a magnificent piece of wok. Great explanation of the beginning of religion and not religion at all.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews