Related Topics
Free-thinkers, Radical Enlightenment, Deism, Atheism, Determinism, Materialism, Biblical criticism, Dissimulation, Skepticism, John Toland, Pierre Bayle, Baruch Spinoza, Pierre Desmaizeaux
Definition/Introduction
Widely known as the leader of the Free-thinkers sect, Anthony Collins (1676–1729) spent his life in the Essex countryside. A fierce anticlerical, he developed a heterodox philosophy in which Continental radical influences can be found. Materialism, determinism, freedom of expression, and biblical criticism are the main issues discussed in his works.
Collins, Anthony
Anthony Collins, one of the most influential English heterodox intellectuals of the early eighteenth century, was born on 21 June 1676. His philosophy was much appreciated by the philosophes of the French Enlightenment, but almost completely forgotten in the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century. Rediscovered in the 1970s thanks to the studies of James O’Higgins (1970) and David...
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References
Agnesina J (2009) Sur l’attribution à Anthony Collins du discourse concerning ridicule and irony in writing. La Lettre clandestine 17:277–289
Agnesina J (2011) Anthony Collins e il determinismo logico. Rivista di Storia della Filosofia 3:209–230
Agnesina J (2018) The philosophy of Anthony Collins: free-thought and atheism. Honoré Champion, Paris
Berman D (1975) Anthony Collins: aspects of his thoughts and writings. Hermathena 119:49–70
Berman D (1988) Anthony Collins’s atheology. In: Berman D (ed) A history of atheism in Britain, from Hobbes to Russell. Routledge, London/New York
Collins A (1707a) An essay concerning the use of the reason in propositions, the evidence whereof depends upon human testimony, London
Collins A (1707b) A letter to the learned Mr. Henry Dodwell, containing some remarks on a (pretended) demonstration of the immateriality and natural immortality of the soul, in Mr. Clark’s Answer &c, A. Baldwin, London
Collins A (1707c) A reply to Mr. Clark’s Defence of his letter to Mr. Dodwell. With a Postcript relating to Mr. Milles’s answer to Mr. Dodwell’s epistolary discourse, London
Collins A (1707d) Reflections on Mr. Clark’s second defence of his letter to Mr. Dodwell. J. Darby, London
Collins A (1708) An answer to Mr.Clark’s third defence of his letter to Mr. Dodwell, A. Baldwin, London
Collins A (1710a) A vindication of the divine attributes. In some remarks on his grace the archbishop of Dublin’s Sermon, intituled, divine predestination and Foreknowledg consistent with the freedom of man’s will, H. Hills, London
Collins A (1710b) Priestcraft in perfection: or, a detection of the fraud of inserting and continuing this clause (the church hath power to decree rites and ceremonys, and authority in controversys of faith) in the twentieth article of the articles of the church of England. Printed for B. Bragg, London
Collins A (1710c) Reflections on a late pamphlet, intitled, priestcraft in perfection, London
Collins A (1713) Discourse on freethinking, Occasion’d by the rise and growth of a sect call’d free-thinkers, London
Collins A (1717a) Lettre de l’Auteur du Discours sur la liberté de penser à M. D∗∗∗, pour server de réponse à ce qui le concerne dans la nouvelle édition du Traité de l’Indifference des Religions &c. par M. Pictet, Pasteur & Professeur en Théologie dans l’Eglise & Academie de Geneve. Nouvelles Litteraires, La Haye, Henri du Sauzet, 24 Avril 1717
Collins A (1717b) A philosophical inquiry concerning human liberty, R. Robinson, London
Collins A (1720) The independent Whig: or, a defence of primitive Christian, and of our ecclesiastical establishment, against the exorbitant claims and encroachments of fanatical and disaffected clergymen, London, articles n° 17, 19, 21, 42–47, 51
Collins A (1724a) An historical and critical essay on the thirty-nine articles of the church of England; wherein it is demonstrated, that this clause, “the church has power to decree rites and ceremonies, and controversies of faith”, inserted in the 39th article, is not a part of the articles, as they were established by act of parliament, of 13 of queen Elizabeth, or agreed, by the convocation of 1562 or 1571, R. Francklin, London
Collins A (1724b) A discourse of the ground and reasons of the Christian religion in two parts etc. to which is Prefix’d an apology for free debate and liberty of writing, London
Collins A (1726a) A letter to the author of the grounds of the reasons of the Christian religion, in answer to Mr. Green’s letters, &c. with a poscript occasion’d by Dr. Lobb’s brief defence &c, A. Moore, London
Collins A (1726b) The scheme of literal prophecy considered; in a view of the controversy, occasion’d by a late book, intitled, a discourse of the grounds and reasons of the Christian religion, T. J., London
Collins A (1727) A letter to the reverend Dr. Rogers: on occasion of his eight sermons concerning the necessity of divine revelation, and the preface Prefix’d to them. To which is added, a letter printed in the London-journal, Apr. 1 1727. With an answer to the same, London
Collins A (1729) A discourse concerning ridicule and irony in writing in a letter to reverend Dr. Nathaniael Marshall, Brotherton, London
Dybikowski J (2011) The correspondence of Anthony Collins (1676–1729), freethinker. Honoré Champion, Paris
Landucci S (1998) Mente e corpo del dibattito fra Collins e Clarke. In: Santucci A (ed) L’Età dei Lumi, Saggi sulla cultura settecentesca. Il Mulino, Bologna
Lucci D (2008) Scripture and deism, the biblical criticism of the eighteenth-century British deists. Peter Lang, Bern
O’Higgins J (1970) Anthony Collins. The man and his works. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague
Pitassi M-C (2012) Le paradoxe de l’examen religieux au début du XVIIIe siècle. Libertinage et philosophie au XVIIe siècle 13:149–161
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Thomson A (2000) Le discourse of free-thinking d’Anthony Collins et sa traduction française. La Lettre Clandestine 9:95–116
Toland J (1696) Christianity not mysterious: or a treatise shewing, that there is nothing in the gospel contrary to reason, nor above it: and that no Christian doctrine can be properly call’d a mystery, S. Buckley, London
Uzgalis W (2009) Anthony Collins on the emergence of consciousness and personal identity. Philos Compass 4:363–379
Uzgalis W (2011) The correspondence of S. Clarke and A. Collins 1707–1708. Broadview Press, Peterborough
Voltaire (1741) Elémens de la Philosophie de Neuton. Contenant la Mètaèhysique, La Thèorie de la Lumiere, & celle du Monde, Par Mr. De Voltaire. Nouvelle Edition, Londres
Wigelsworth J (2001) The sleeping habits of matter and Spirit: Samuel Clarke and Anthony Collins on the immortality of the soul. Past Imperfect 9:1–24
Wolfe C (2007) Determinism/Spinozism in the radical enlightenment: the cases of Anthony Collins and Denis Diderot. In: Ihalainen P (ed) Boundaries in the eighteenth century, international review of eighteenth-century studies (IRECS), vol 1, pp 37–51
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Agnesina, J. (2020). Collins, Anthony. In: Jalobeanu, D., Wolfe, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Early Modern Philosophy and the Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20791-9_550-1
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