tailieunhanh - GOD THE KNOWN AND GOD THE UNKNOWN

INTRODUCTION MANKIND has ever been ready to discuss matters in the inverse ratio of their importance, so that the more closely a question is felt to touch the hearts of all of us, the more incumbent it is considered upon prudent people to profess that it does not .exist, to frown it down, to tell it to hold its tongue, to maintain that it has long been finally settled, so that there is now no question concerning it. So far, indeed, has this been carried through all time past that the actions which are most important to us, such as. | Contents GOD THE KNOWN AND GOD THE UNKNOWN By Samuel Butler Prefatory Note GOD THE KNOWN AND GOD THE UNKNOWN CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER II. COMMON GROUND CHAPTER III. PANTHEISM. CHAPTER IV. PANTHEISM. CHAPTER V. ORTHODOX THEISM CHAPTER VI. THE TREE OF LIFE CHAPTER VII. THE LIKENESS OF GOD CHAPTER VIII. THE LIFE EVERLASTING CHAPTER IX. GOD THE UNKNOWN Prefatory Note GOD the Known and God the Unknown first appeared in the form of a series of articles which were published in The Examiner in May June and July 1879. Samuel Butler subsequently revised the text of his work presumably with the intention of republishing it though he never carried the intention into effect. In the present edition I have followed his revised version almost without deviation. I have however retained a few passages which Butler proposed to omit partly because they appear to me to render the course of his argument clearer and partly because they contain characteristic thoughts and expressions of which none of his admirers would wish to be deprived. In the list of Butler s works God the Known and God the Unknown follows Life and Habit which appeared in 1877 and Evolution Old and New which was published in May 1879. It is scarcely necessary to point out that the three works are closely akin in subject and treatment and that God the Known and God the Unknown will gain in interest by being considered in relation to its predecessors. R. A. STREATFEILD GOD THE KNOWN and GOD THE UNKNOWN CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION MANKIND has ever been ready to discuss matters in the inverse ratio of their importance so that the more closely a question is felt to touch the hearts of all of us the more incumbent it is considered upon prudent people to profess that it does not exist to frown it down to tell it to hold its tongue to maintain that it has long been finally settled so that there is now no question concerning it. So far indeed has this been carried through all time past that the actions which are most .