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Title: treasure trove, but slightly biased
Review: Richard Popkin's book is obviously the definitive word on the subject in the English language. It is massively researched and well written. For me, it provides a gold mine of information in trying to trace the beginning of the enlightenment, which led to the french revolution, and has undermined Western culture ever since.However, I am concerned about Popkin's bias, which he freely admits to in the Introduction, on page xxiii. He says: "Like the sceptics who will considered here, i believe that doubts can be cast on any such dogmatic claims and that such claims ultimately rest on some element of faith rather than evidence." This, too, is a dogmatic statement; therefore, doubt can be cast on it, and it ultimately rests on an act of faith.Popkin goes on: "My sympathies are on the side of the sceptics i have been studying." Professor Popkin is to be congratulated for his candor, but these "sympathies" color the whole book, whether consciously or subconsciously.
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