Glanvill (Glanvil), Joseph. – Anglican pastor and philosopher, b. at Plymouth in 1630, d. at Bath in 1680. He was chaplain to Charles II.
Having emerged from Cartesianism, Glanvill accepted the views of empiricism: philosophy is merely the elaboration of data from experience, and no apodictic science of nature can exist. It is nevertheless possible, from empirical-practical knowledge of nature, to arrive at the affirmation of God and of religion. Glanvill is a precursor of Hume in indicating the uncertainty of the connection between cause and effect (non sequitur necessario, hoc est post illud, ergo propter illud). In contrast to these views of a sceptical tendency, Glanvill later did not refrain from lending credence to magical practices.
Principal work: *The vanity of dogmatizing: confidence in opinions* etc. (London 1661), reworked under the title *Scepsis scientifica or confessed ignorance, the way to science* (ibid. 1665, new ed. ed. J. Owen, 1885). Other works: *Plus ultra, or the progress and advancement of knowledge* (ibid. 1668); *Philosophical considerations concerning the existence of sorcerers and sorcery* (ibid. 1660); *Sadducismus triumphans* (posthumous, ibid. 1681, reprinted with additions by H. More in 1682 and translated into German in 1701).