The High-Court Judge and Common-Sense Philosopher Looks at Religion

Abstract

As has already been made quite clear, religion played a prominent role both in Kames’s thinking and in his conduct, as it did in that of his countrymen generally at this time. We would, therefore, be giving a very imperfect idea of his thought about man, society and the world about him, did we not include here some account of his views on man’s relation to his larger universe and on the implications of a belief in Providence for his conduct in relation to his fellow man. To be sure, his thinking on such matters reflects in some ways both the more traditional and the changing thinking of his contemporaries; but there are also ways in which his thinking was in advance of that of his contemporaries and in which he may be said to have made a distinct contribution to religious thinking that looked to the future rather than to the past. His more personal creed and personal piety, we have dealt with in a previous chapter. In this chapter we shall attempt to characterize both his philosophy of religion, if we may call it that, and the tenets of the Christian faith to which he gave his strongest approval.¹

Religion is given for our good... No religion can be true which tends to disturb the peace of society. (Kames)

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. (Micah vi, 8)