Anthony Collins

Born June 21, 1676, in Heston, Middlesex; died Dec. 13, 1729, in London. English deist and student and friend of J. Locke.

Collins’ deism had a certain materialist tendency. In his Letter to Mr. Dodwell (1707), he stated that the soul may be material and raised doubts concerning its immortality. He defended determinism in a polemic against the doctrine of free will. Although he retained his faith in god, he considered himself a member of the “sect of freethinkers.” In his main work, A Discourse of Freethinking (1713), and other writings Collins sought to free thought from church dogma. His works were published anonymously and came under sharp attack from the clergy.