History of Freedom of Thought

History of Freedom of Thought

by John Bagnell Bury

12 chapters5h 51mEnglish1913

About this book

The great civil liberties we enjoy today, like Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press, have their foundation in Freedom of Thought. Without being able to freely explore all kinds of matter with an inquisitive mind, whether it be religious, political, societal, scientific, etc., any expression thereof is limited in and of itself. John Bagnell Bury tells the history of freedom of thought from its roots in Ancient Greece and Rome through the dark and restrictive Middle Ages and its renewed liberation in the Renaissance and the Reformation until the Rationalism of the 17th - 19th centuries. The focus of this book is on religious freethought, but the ideas and values of freedom of thought can be applied to any subject where rigorous thinking is beneficial. (Summary by Ava)

Chapters (12)

1Freedom of Thought and the Forces Against It (Introductory)
1371
2Reason Free (Greece and Rome)
2125
3Reason in Prison (The Middle Ages)
1710
4Prospect of Deliverance (The Renaissance and the Reformation)
1511
5Religious Toleration, Part 1
1597
6Religious Toleration, Part 2
1596
7The Growth of Rationalism (17th and 18th Centuries), Part 1
2303
8The Growth of Rationalism (17th and 18th Centuries), Part 2
2130
9The Progress of Rationalism (19th Century), Part 1
1501
10The Progress of Rationalism (19th Century), Part 2
1495
11The Progress of Rationalism (19th Century), Part 3
1536
12The Justification of Liberty of Thought
2235

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