WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
Life and Habit cover

Life and Habit

By Samuel Butler
Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

Philosophy & Ethics

About This Book

The author proposes that many acquired habits become hereditary through a process likened to memory, and examines how unconscious or quasi-unconscious actions illuminate instinct, embryology, and the transmission of traits. He distinguishes conscious and unconscious knowing, explores personal identity and subordinate personalities, and considers assimilation of outside matter alongside the suspension (abeyance) of memory. Applying these ideas, he argues that instincts may be inherited memories and discusses examples such as neuter insects. The work critiques and contrasts prevailing evolutionary theories and outlines implications for the origin of species and the continuity of life.

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.

More Books by This Author

6 picks
A First Year in Canterbury Settlement cover A First Year in Canterbury Settlement by Samuel Butler Alps and Sanctuaries of Piedmont and the Canton Ticino cover Alps and Sanctuaries of Piedmont and the Canton Ticino by Samuel Butler Atlas of ancient & classical geography cover Atlas of ancient & classical geography by Samuel Butler Cambridge Pieces cover Cambridge Pieces by Samuel Butler Canterbury Pieces cover Canterbury Pieces by Samuel Butler Erewhon Revisited Twenty Years Later, Both by the Original Discoverer of the Country and by His Son cover Erewhon Revisited Twenty Years Later, Both by the Original Discoverer of the Country and by His Son by Samuel Butler

You May Also Like

6 picks
The Overman cover The Overman by Upton Sinclair Peter Abélard cover Peter Abélard by Joseph McCabe Occultists & mystics of all ages cover Occultists & mystics of all ages by Ralph Shirley La mirabile visione: Abbozzo d'una storia della Divina Comedia cover La mirabile visione: Abbozzo d'una storia della Divina Comedia by Giovanni Pascoli Revolted Woman: Past, present, and to come cover Revolted Woman: Past, present, and to come by Charles G. Harper The Thirteen Names of the First Patriarchs, Considered as Figurative of the Progressive Influence of the Spirit. / Being the Substance of Two Sermons, Preached on Wednesday March 24, and April 3, 1811, at the Obelisk Chapel cover The Thirteen Names of the First Patriarchs, Considered as Figurative of the Progressive Influence of the Spirit. / Being the Substance of Two Sermons, Preached on Wednesday March 24, and April 3, 1811, at the Obelisk Chapel by J. Church