Freethought and Freedom

Smith begins his series on the historical relationship between religious skepticism and libertarianism.

Smith discusses the common argument that atheists cannot be moral and so should not be legally tolerated.

Augustine argued that religious persecution was justified when done in the interest of the salvation of those persecuted.

Smith explains the similarities between medieval heresy and our modern notion of treason against the state.

Smith explains how some leading Christian theologians justified the death penalty for heretics and blasphemers.

Smith explores Shaftesbury’s defense of ridicule and satire in matters of religion.

Smith explains some tactics that early freethinkers used in the attempt to avoid punishment for blasphemy and other religious crimes.

Smith explains the origins of deism and its basic ideas.

Smith explains the basic tenets of deism and why it posed a political threat.

Smith explains why Edward Gibbon rejected miraculous accounts in his masterpiece, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Smith explains the controversial arguments of the deist John Toland, as defended in Christianity not Mysterious.

Smith explains the political implications of the deistic repudiation of special revelation and miracles.

Pyrrhonic skepticism had a tremendous influence on religious debates in post-Reformation Europe.

Smith explains Bacon’s defense of certainty and his contributions to a secular worldview.

Smith discusses Spinoza’s controversial ideas about God, religion, and his criticism of the Design Argument.

Smith explains why Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Treatise became one of the most scandalous books ever published.

Smith continues his discussion of Spinoza by explaining how he defended freedom of religion and speech.

Smith explains the fundamentals of Spinoza’s theory of rights and government.

Smith criticizes some features of Spinoza’s political theory, especially his theory of rights.

Smith explains some of the libertarian ideas of Jean Meslier, the notorious atheist-priest.

Smith explains the role of the Catholic Church in the French government, and how Meslier reconciled his atheism with his role as a priest.

Smith explains Meslier’s three major objections to Christian morality, as taught by Jesus.

Smith critically examines the claim that Meslier was a communist anarchist.

Was Meslier a communist? Smith explores this tricky issue.

Smith discusses the traditional Christian theory of private property and how it was viewed as the result of original sin.

Does the modern libertarian movement have any significant similarities to the early Christian movement? Smith explores this intriguing possibility.

Smith contrasts the modern secular approach to private property with the traditional Christian theory.

Smith continues his discussion of how the theory of private property changed over the centuries.

Smith discusses Locke’s view of the original commons, before the institution of private property.