The Non-religion of the Future: A Sociological Study

"The Non-religion of the Future: A Sociological Study" by Jean-Marie Guyau is a late 19th-century sociological exploration of how religious beliefs change and proposes that humanity might move towards a "non-religion" state, challenging the idea that established religions will always exist. It looks at how religion, art, and morals connect, suggesting that as society advances, people might become more focused on individual thought and reason, potentially replacing traditional religious practices; opening with the argument that religion was founded and grew through societal events, not spiritual ones, it considers different meanings of religion and argues that the main part of all religious ideas is the social link between people and a larger world, critically examining both old and new religious explanations, and suggesting all types have grown from early social understandings, setting the scene to explore in more detail how these religious origins could create a future where non-religious or logical systems satisfy humanity's social and moral needs, moving past simple beliefs and stories.