Includes bibliographical references (pages 253-260) and index.
Contents:
Francis Bacon and the origin of Christian virtuosity -- Robert Boyle, Christian virtuoso -- Epicurus, Lucretius, and the crisis of atheism -- The origin of Locke's Essay -- The philosophy of a Christian virtuoso. 1, The new countenance of logic -- The philosophy of a Christian virtuoso. 2, Physics -- The philosophy of a Christian virtuoso. 3, Ethics -- The theology of a Christian virtuoso.
Summary:
Early modern Europe was the birthplace of the modern secular outlook. During the seventeenth century nature and human society came to be regarded in purely naturalistic, empirical ways, and religion was made an object of critical historical study. John Locke was a central figure in all these events. This study of his philosophical thought shows that these changes did not happen smoothly or without many conflicts of belief: Locke, in the role of Christian Virtuoso, endeavoured to resolve them. He was an experimental natural philosopher, a proponent of the so-called 'new philosophy', a variety of atomism that emerged in early modern Europe. But he was also a practising Christian, and he professed confidence that the two vocations were not only compatible, but mutually sustaining. He aspired, without compromising his empirical stance, to unite the two vocations in a single philosophical endeavour with the aim of producing a system of Christian philosophy.
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