Anthony Collins

Anthony Collins – Life, Philosophy & Famous Sayings

Anthony Collins (June 21, 1676 – December 13, 1729) was an English philosopher, deist, and advocate of freethinking and determinism. Explore his biography, major works, philosophical contributions, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Anthony Collins was a prominent English philosopher and essayist of the early 18th century. He is particularly known as one of Britain’s early deists and as a defender of freethinking, reason in religion, and the doctrine of necessity (determinism).

Although today less widely known than Locke or Hume, Collins played a key role in the intellectual currents of the Enlightenment—challenging religious dogma, questioning authority, and advocating that beliefs must conform to reason.

Early Life & Education

Anthony Collins was born on 21 June 1676 (Old Style calendar) in Heston, Middlesex, England. Henry Collins, a lawyer, and his wife Mary (née Dineley).

He was educated first at Eton College, and then attended King’s College, Cambridge. Middle Temple in London.

Career, Works & Philosophical Contributions

Freethinking & Deism

Collins is best known for his “A Discourse of Freethinking” (1713), in which he defended the right (and duty) of using reason and the intellect to examine religious claims. He argued that freethinking must not be constrained—indeed, it is essential for discovering truth.

He insisted that revelation or religious doctrine must submit to the test of reason, rejecting distinctions like “above reason” or “contrary to reason.” Essay concerning the Use of Reason (1707), he already began this project, arguing that religious propositions based on human testimony must be judged by natural ideas of God.

In a later work, Discourse of the Grounds and Reasons of the Christian Religion (1724), Collins challenged the traditional proofs of prophecy and the canonicity of New Testament texts, aiming to show that Christian revelation must stand within rational bounds.

Determinism / Necessitarianism & Free Will

Collins is also significant for his defense of necessitarianism (i.e. that all events, including human choices, follow necessarily from prior causes). A Philosophical Inquiry Concerning Human Liberty (1717), he laid out his deterministic stance.

He was challenged by Samuel Clarke (who defended a libertarian account of free will), but in 1729 Collins responded in Liberty and Necessity.

Collins’ view was that freedom does not entail the absence of causal determination; rather, human volition is itself part of a causal chain, and moral responsibility is compatible with that.

Other Works & Themes

Other works by Collins include:

• Vindication of the Divine Attributes (1710)

• Priestcraft in Perfection (1709)

• The Scheme of Literal Prophecy Considered (1727), a reply to criticisms of his 1724 work

• A Letter to Mr Dodwell, where he explored questions about the soul’s nature (material vs immaterial and the immortality debate)

• A Discourse Concerning Ridicule and Irony in Writing (1729), in which he defends satire and irony as legitimate forms in religious and philosophical discourse

Collins was also a prolific reader and collector of books. He amassed one of the largest private libraries of his era (about 6,906 volumes) on diverse topics—history, theology, philosophy.

Personality, Style & Reception

Collins published many of his works anonymously or without his name, partly to avoid ecclesiastical backlash and partly out of modesty of style.

Despite accusations of heterodoxy or borderline atheism, Collins explicitly denied being an atheist or agnostic. He famously said:

“Ignorance is the foundation of atheism, and freethinking the cure of it.”

Throughout his life he faced criticism from church authorities, bishops, and theologians. However, his arguments were serious, well-informed, and often engaged with the best minds of his time.

Famous Quotes

Here are several memorable quotations attributed to Anthony Collins:

• “We have a right to know or may lawfully know any truth. And a right to know any truth whatsoever implies a right to think freely.”

• “It is not enough to render things equal to the will, that they are equal or alike in themselves.”

• “Willing or preferring is the same with respect to good and evil, that judging is with respect to truth or falsehood.”

• “Believe it, my good friend, to love truth for truth’s sake is the principal part of human perfection in the world…”

• “I am obliged to believe certain opinions myself. No man’s belief will save me except my own.”

These quotes showcase his advocacy for intellectual autonomy, belief accountability, and reasoned inquiry.

Lessons & Legacy

From Collins’ life and thought, several lessons emerge:

1. Courage of thought
   Collins embraced topics—religion, prophecy, free will—that were dangerous to question in his time. He showed that reasoned dissent can help expand intellectual freedom.

2. Reason over dogma
   He held that religious claims must be consistent with reason, and that revelation cannot contravene natural reason.

3. Compatibility of determinism and moral responsibility
   His sophisticated defense of libertarian skepticism and determinism offers an early version of what later philosophers would call compatibilism.

4. Civil discourse matters
   Despite the ferocity of his critics, Collins maintained a courteous style—reminding us that debate need not devolve into invective.

5. Intellectual infrastructure
   His massive private library and careful engagement with theological and philosophical sources made him a node in Enlightenment networks of critique and free inquiry.

Collins influenced later deists, freethinkers, and Enlightenment thinkers, helping shift the terrain of theological debate and reinforcing the idea that belief should be accountable to reason.

Conclusion

Anthony Collins remains a bold, if underappreciated, figure in the history of philosophy. His defense of freethinking, his nuanced determinism, and his challenges to religious orthodoxy mark him as a thinker ahead of his time. His life reminds us that intellectual courage, careful reasoning, and a generous temper in debate can leave a lasting mark.