
audiobook
by J. M. (Joseph Mazzini) Wheeler
This reference work brings together the lives of the most influential skeptics, rationalists, and reformers who have challenged religious orthodoxy across centuries and continents. Drawing on a wide range of scholarly sources, it offers concise entries that highlight each figure’s major contributions to free inquiry, from early Unitarians to modern secular thinkers. The author’s careful selection avoids overstating any single biography, focusing instead on the collective impact of these thinkers.
Readers will find not only brief sketches of well‑known philosophers like John Stuart Mill and lesser‑known martyrs who faced persecution, but also bibliographic pointers to their most significant writings. The dictionary is organized alphabetically, making it easy to locate individuals and to explore the breadth of freethought literature. Whether you’re a student of intellectual history or simply curious about the people who have shaped secular discourse, this guide provides a clear, accessible gateway to the world of independent thought.
Language
en
Duration
~13 hours (774K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Adam Buchbinder, Jeroen Hellingman, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.)
Release date
2010-11-30
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1850–1898
A sharp, energetic voice in Victorian freethought, this English writer and journalist spent much of his career challenging Christian orthodoxy and documenting the history of unbelief. He is best remembered for his ambitious reference work on freethinkers across the ages and for his long association with the radical paper The Freethinker.
View all books