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God the Known and God the Unknown

By Samuel Butler
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Philosophy & EthicsReligion/Spirituality

About This Book

A philosophical inquiry examines human attempts to know the divine, contrasting pantheism and orthodox theism and arguing that conventional accounts leave God empirically inaccessible. Using ideas from evolution and physiology, the author proposes a unified view in which life and divinity intertwine: organisms and their constituent cells form a compound personality that expresses a single animating spirit. Botanical and zoological metaphors—trees, coral, and cellular life—illustrate continuity between individual and cosmic life. Later chapters consider the likeness of God, the prospect of everlasting life, and the distinction between a partially apprehensible presence and a ultimately unknowable aspect of the divine.

About the Author

Butler, Samuel portrait

Samuel Butler

Samuel Butler was an English novelist, essayist, and social critic, known for his satirical and thought-provoking works. His most famous novel, "Erewhon," published in 1872, presents a unique utopian society that challenges contemporary Victorian values and explores themes of evolution and morality. Butler's writings often reflect his interest in science and philosophy, as seen in his essays and critiques of Darwinism in "Evolution, Old & New." He also authored travel narratives, such as "Alps and Sanctuaries of Piedmont and the Canton Ticino," showcasing his keen observations of culture and landscape. Butler's literary contributions continue to resonate, marking him as a significant figure in 19th-century literature.

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