Project Gutenberg 2005-01-01 Public domain in the USA. 219 Holbach, Paul Henri Thiry, baron d' 1723 1789 D'Holbach, Baron Good Sense Produced by Freethought Archives, and David Widger "Good Sense" by Baron d' Paul Henri Thiry Holbach is a philosophical treatise written in the late 18th century. This work delves deeply into themes of atheism, reason, and morality, challenging the existence of a deity and the foundations of religious thought. Holbach argues against the credibility of theology, positing that all religious principles stem from ignorance and superstition. The opening portion of the book presents a compelling critique of religious beliefs and the concept of God, portraying religion as a mere construct designed to manipulate and control the masses. Holbach likens the world to an empire ruled by a hidden monarch (God), with priests as ministers spreading confusion and contradictions. He argues that religious dogmas rely on incomprehensible notions and instill fear, compelling individuals to adhere to absurd beliefs. Through a series of reflections, Holbach insists that morality and understanding can be achieved through reason and common sense rather than reliance on a supernatural deity. The excerpt sets the tone for a rigorous examination of the absurdities associated with religious belief and promotes a rationalist approach to ethics and human existence. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 57.9 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Atheism BL Text Category: Philosophy & Ethics Category: Religion/Spirituality 466422 2025-07-03T10:51:18.231760 text/html 470198 2013-01-29T08:47:12 text/html 224514 2025-07-03T10:51:27.783645 application/epub+zip 233746 2025-07-03T10:51:21.522692 application/epub+zip 225211 2025-07-03T10:51:20.095671 application/epub+zip 493339 2025-07-03T10:51:32.727619 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 411651 2025-07-03T10:51:26.569682 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 379013 2022-09-04T05:31:22.988037 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 376406 2025-07-03T10:51:17.406680 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 376241 2009-07-28T18:29:38 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18510 2025-07-03T10:51:32.867613 application/rdf+xml 11649 2025-07-03T10:51:20.607680 image/jpeg 3164 2025-07-03T10:51:20.350682 image/jpeg 141544 2013-01-29T08:47:12 application/octet-stream application/zip 132172 2009-07-28T18:30:46 application/octet-stream application/zip 211434 2025-07-03T10:51:18.262710 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia