John Toland
John Toland was an Irish rationalist philosopher and freethinker, and occasional satirist, who wrote numerous books and pamphlets on political philosophy and philosophy of religion, which are early expressions of the philosophy of the Age of Enlightenment. Born in Ireland, he was educated at the universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leiden and Oxford and was influenced by the philosophy of John Locke.
Career Journey
Background
- Born in
- Ardagh
- Educated at
- Leiden UniversityUniversity of EdinburghUniversity of Glasgow
Trending & Selected Quotes
Trending topics shown first"Revelation was not a necessitating motive of assent, but a means of information. We should not confound the way whereby we come to the knowledge of a thing with the grounds we have to believe it."
"I hold nothing as an article of my Religion, but what the highest evidence forced me to embrace."
"As for acquiescing in what a man understands not, or cannot reconcile to his reason, they know best the fruits of it that practice it. For my part, I'm a stranger to it, and cannot reconcile myself to…"
"They are not the articles of the East or West, Orthodox or Arian, Protestant or Papist, considered as such, that I trouble myself about, but those of Jesus Christ and his Apostles."
"I hope to make it appear, that the use of reason in religion is not so dangerous as commonly represented."
"Since Religion is calculated for reasonable Creatures, 'tis Conviction and not Authority that should bear Weight with them."
Works & Publications
No works or publications documented yet.
Timeline
1670
Born
Birth1722
Died
Death
Influenced By
Thinkers whose ideas shaped John's philosophy
No known influences documented.
Influenced
Thinkers whose work was shaped by John's ideas
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Source Attribution
Information about John Toland is sourced from curated knowledge bases and cross-referenced for accuracy. Influence relationships are scored by thematic overlap and historical plausibility.
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