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  • Some New World: Myths of Supernatural Belief in a Secular Age

    Some New World by Harrison, Peter;

    Myths of Supernatural Belief in a Secular Age

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      • Publisher's listprice GBP 29.99
      • The price is estimated because at the time of ordering we do not know what conversion rates will apply to HUF / product currency when the book arrives. In case HUF is weaker, the price increases slightly, in case HUF is stronger, the price goes lower slightly.

        14 327 Ft (13 645 Ft + 5% VAT)
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    14 327 Ft

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    Availability

    Estimated delivery time: In stock at the publisher, but not at Prospero's office. Delivery time approx. 3-5 weeks.
    Not in stock at Prospero.

    Why don't you give exact delivery time?

    Delivery time is estimated on our previous experiences. We give estimations only, because we order from outside Hungary, and the delivery time mainly depends on how quickly the publisher supplies the book. Faster or slower deliveries both happen, but we do our best to supply as quickly as possible.

    Product details:

    • Publisher Cambridge University Press
    • Date of Publication 24 July 2025

    • ISBN 9781009477246
    • Binding Paperback
    • No. of pages482 pages
    • Size 229x152x27 mm
    • Weight 775 g
    • Language English
    • 673

    Categories

    Short description:

    This masterful contribution to intellectual history offers a better understanding of secular modernity by focusing on 'naturalism', 'supernaturalism', and 'belief'.

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    Long description:

    In his famous argument against miracles, David Hume gets to the heart of the modern problem of supernatural belief. 'We are apt', says Hume, 'to imagine ourselves transported into some new world; where the whole form of nature is disjointed, and every element performs its operation in a different manner, from what it does at present.' This encapsulates, observes Peter Harrison, the disjuncture between contemporary Western culture and medieval societies. In the Middle Ages, people saw the hand of God at work everywhere. Indeed, many suppose that 'belief in the supernatural' is likewise fundamental nowadays to religious commitment. But dichotomising between 'naturalism' and 'supernaturalism' is actually a relatively recent phenomenon, just as the notion of 'belief' emerged historically late. In this masterful contribution to intellectual history, the author overturns crucial misconceptions - 'myths' - about secular modernity, challenging common misunderstandings of the past even as he reinvigorates religious thinking in the present.

    'This is a superb book that takes on big questions and offers satisfying answers. Harrison's very careful examination of the development of the concepts of 'supernaturalism' and 'belief' is full of brilliant, new insights. This major new work will only add to his reputation as one of the leading figures in the humanities.' Bernard Lightman, Professor of Humanities, York University, Toronto, author of Victorian Popularizers of Science: Designing Nature for New Audiences (2007) and The Origins of Agnosticism: Victorian Unbelief and the Limits of Knowledge (1987)

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    Table of Contents:

    Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Hume's dilemma; 2. Languages of belief; 3. Inventing epistemology; 4. The age of evidences; 5. The birth of the supernatural; 6. The shape of history; 7. What the Greeks saw; Bibliography; Index.

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