Religion

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Very general discussions of religion--of religion in general--go here. Check the subheads to see if your chunk might be better placed there. Notice that if the author himself uses the term "religion" as if to include all religions, when really he means only one particular religion, the text might be more properly placed as a comment on that particular religion.


Definition

Fear of power invisible, feigned by the mind, or imagined from tales publicly allowed, religion; not allowed, superstition. And when the power imagined is truly such as we imagine, true religion.

Hobbes, Lev VI 36


Proposition

Religion is uniquely human.

SEEING there are no signs nor fruit of religion but in man only, there is no cause to doubt but that the seed of religion is also only in man; and consisteth in some peculiar quality, or at least in some eminent degree thereof, not to be found in other living creatures.

Hobbes, Lev XII 1


Proposition

Religion develops by “invention” in place of scientific investigation.

And this seed of religion, having been observed by many, some of those that have observed it have been inclined thereby to nourish, dress, and form it into laws; and to add to it, of their own invention, any opinion of the causes of future events by which they thought they should best be able to govern others and make unto themselves the greatest use of their powers.

Hobbes, Lev XI 27

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