Author: Cicero
Spiritual Bias: Unknown
Origins Bias: Unknown
Rating: Middle of the Road
Level: Basic
Comments: This work by the Roman philosopher Cicero is a dialogue between three gentlemen concerning their views of 'gods' in the backdrop of Greek and Roman pagan society. It is a classic and a must read for those interested in the historical origins debate. One of the key points of contention discussed in this dialogue is whether or not the "argument from design" is valid. In fact, at times I forgot that I was reading text that was penned two thousand years ago. The book contains ideas and thoughts that are very relevant to today. This should give us pause; and we should try to draw from the fact that this is an issue that has been debated for thousands of years without conclusion. Overall, I highly recommend this book without reservation.
Summary Quote: "Supposing your eyes lit upon a large and beautiful house. Even if you could not descry its owner, no one could force you to believe that it was built by mice and weasels. Well then, if you were to imagine that the highly adorned universe, with its huge variety and beauty of the heavenly bodies, was your home and not that of the immortal gods, would you not seem to be totally out of your mind?"
