Concept
Theism
Overview
Theism is broadly defined as the belief in the existence of at least one deity. In common parlance, or when contrasted with deism, the term often describes the philosophical conception of God that is found in classical theism—or the conception found in monotheism—or deities found in polytheistic religions—or a belief in God or gods without the rejection of revelation, as is characteristic of deism.
Non-theism and atheism is commonly understood as non-acceptance or outright rejection of theism in the broadest sense of the term (i.e., non-acceptance or rejection of belief in God or gods). Related (but separate) is the claim that the existence of any deity is unknown or unknowable, which is a form of agnosticism.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
It is therefore the relation in knowledge of the _reason_ to its consequent; whereas true Theism (Spinoza's Theism is merely nominal) assumes the relation of the _cause_ to its effect, in which the cause remains different and separate from the consequence, not only in the way in which we consider them, but really and essentially, therefore in themselves to all eternity.
Arthur Schopenhauer, On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason, and On the Will in Nature
States what Theism is; the author is tied to Theism in the knowledge graph.
There is no country in Europe where there are more theists than in England. Some persons ask whether they have a religion or not. There are two sorts of theists. The one sort think that God made the world without giving man rules for good and evil. It is clear that these should have no other name than that of philosophers. The others believe that God gave to man a natural law.
Voltaire, A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 02
States what Theism is; names Theism several times.
That the dispute concerning Theism is of this nature, and consequently is merely verbal, or perhaps, if possible, still more incurably ambiguous, will appear upon the slightest inquiry. I ask the Theist, if he does not allow, that there is a great and immeasurable, because incomprehensible difference between the _human_ and the _divine_ mind: The more pious he is, the more readily will he assent to…
David Hume, Philosophical Works, v. 2
States what Theism is; opens on Theism.
Philosophers who discussed Theism
- Walter Kaufmann (philosopher)
- Lucian
- Karl Popper
- Adam Smith
- Michel Onfray
- Robert Merrihew Adams
- Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi
- Richard Swinburne
- Baruch Spinoza
- Paul Tillich
- Brand Blanshard
- C. S. Lewis
- Islam
- Arthur Schopenhauer
- Mary Midgley
- Emma Goldman
- Christian Hermann Weisse
- J. L. Schellenberg
- Immanuel Hermann Fichte
- Richard Carrier
- Peter Forrest (philosopher)
- Paul Draper (philosopher)
- Petre P. Negulescu
- Douglas Groothuis
Related ideas
- Ātman (Hinduism)
- Belief
- Ritual
- Yale University Press
- Jungian archetypes
- Gnosticism
- Giordano Bruno
- The Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Henotheism
- Ancient Greek
- Chinese folk religion
- Atheism
- Judaism
- Übermensch
- Cosmology
- Prehistory
- Anthropomorphism
- Personal god
- Polytheism
- Monotheism
- Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Brahman
- Emanationism
- Mormonism
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Outline of philosophy.
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