Project Gutenberg 2005-01-01 Public domain in the USA. 209 Holbach, Paul Henri Thiry, baron d' 1723 1789 D'Holbach, Baron Good Sense Reading ease score: 57.9 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. Produced by Freethought Archives, and David Widger "Good Sense" by Baron d' Paul Henri Thiry Holbach is a philosophical treatise written in the late 18th century. This work delves deeply into themes of atheism, reason, and morality, challenging the existence of a deity and the foundations of religious thought. Holbach argues against the credibility of theology, positing that all religious principles stem from ignorance and superstition. The opening portion of the book presents a compelling critique of religious beliefs and the concept of God, portraying religion as a mere construct designed to manipulate and control the masses. Holbach likens the world to an empire ruled by a hidden monarch (God), with priests as ministers spreading confusion and contradictions. He argues that religious dogmas rely on incomprehensible notions and instill fear, compelling individuals to adhere to absurd beliefs. Through a series of reflections, Holbach insists that morality and understanding can be achieved through reason and common sense rather than reliance on a supernatural deity. The excerpt sets the tone for a rigorous examination of the absurdities associated with religious belief and promotes a rationalist approach to ethics and human existence. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en Atheism BL Text Browsing: Philosophy & Ethics Browsing: Psychiatry/Psychology Browsing: Religion/Spirituality/Paranormal 466319 466320 2024-10-03T12:58:55.071542 2023-10-04T03:49:29.772075 text/html text/html 470198 2013-01-29T08:47:12 text/html; charset=us-ascii 141544 2013-01-29T08:47:12 text/html; charset=us-ascii application/zip 224445 2024-10-03T12:59:05.841494 application/epub+zip 233759 2024-10-03T12:58:58.694514 application/epub+zip 225227 2024-10-03T12:58:57.049547 application/epub+zip 493288 2024-10-03T12:59:11.588470 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 411651 2024-10-03T12:59:04.453507 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 379013 2022-09-04T05:31:22.988037 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 376406 376373 2024-10-03T12:58:53.816552 2023-10-04T03:49:28.838074 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 376241 2009-07-28T18:29:38 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 132172 2009-07-28T18:30:46 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 19497 2024-10-03T12:59:11.724443 application/rdf+xml 11649 2024-10-03T12:58:57.632518 image/jpeg 3164 2024-10-03T12:58:57.339523 image/jpeg 211397 2024-10-03T12:58:55.106535 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia