Views On Vexed Questions

Excerpt from Views on Vexed Questions Among the lower orders of creation are exhibitions of a wisdom absolutely perfect in prescribed spheres, existing prior to experience and independent of the aids of instruction. Men partially attain by protracted efforts and after multiplied failures what insects and brutes reach at a single bound. The ultimate nature of this animal instinct, the methods of its creation and maintenance, its springs of action, its final destiny, are among the subtilest of the secrets that hide behind the manifestations of the outer world. Philosophy has long sought for them, but, baffled and blinded, it now stands with uncovered head in the presence of their phenomenal glory. We indeed meet mystery in the very instrument we use for the search, in that intro vertive power, self-consciousness, that ego seemingly sitting apart, recognizing and judging thought-processes, even attempting an analysis of itself. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Across the democratic West, politics has become deeply polarised and profoundly personal. Challenge someone's political views and increasingly you challenge their very being. And yet, do our political tribes even make sense? Look carefully, and on the most important ethical issues of the age – assisted dying, social welfare, sexual liberation, abortion, gun control, the environment, technology, justice – the instinctive positions of both the Left and the Right are riven with contradictions. In this refreshing and eye-opening book, James Mumford, a public thinker and independent commentator, questions the basic assumptions of our political groups. His challenge is simple: 'Why should believing strongly about one topic mean the automatic adoption of so many others?' Vexed is an essential and provocative account that will appeal to anyone of independent thought, and a welcome call for new reflection on the moral issues most relevant to our modern way of life.

From the introductory chapter: DRIFT OF MODERN THOUGHT. The laws of nature, which are by many erroneously considered self-operating entities, are simply the names of methods of working. The vitalizing forces themselves are hidden behind an impenetrable veil of mystery. Of the certain existence of secret somethings wholly distinct from the particles of matter wrapped up within the folds of germs or within the faces of crystals we have palpable proofs in phenomena, but the most searching scientific analysis has never yet lifted or rent the veil. We think we account by gravity for the rush of the avalanche and the tides of the sea. Hydrogen and oxygen embrace at the touch of fire, and we call it chemical affinity. Frost utters some potent spell over the particles of a water-drop and they fall into line and effect symmetrical combinations with the precision of drilled infantry, and we flatter ourselves we have solved the riddle when we christen it crystallization. Kernels of wheat taken from the hand of an Egyptian mummy, where they had lain through the long roll of three thousand years seemingly dead, when dropped into the earth were found filled with skilled alchemists who, in unknown proportions and by unknown processes, compounded in their crucibles ingredients of dew, air, soil, and sunlight. That there should have been power left to produce vegetable cell-growth after this death-like sleep of thirty centuries we may well pronounce a mystery, but what that was which slept and in its waking goldened the fields with grain again is a mystery infinitely greater. Two embryos so minute as scarcely to be discernible to the naked eye, their points of difference seldom, if ever, detected even when placed in the focus of the microscope, will, when favorably circumstanced, develop, one into a winged butterfly, the other into a bounding tiger: why, none can tell....

In this thought-provoking book, James Freeman Clarke explores some of the most vexing questions in theology. Drawing on both historical and contemporary perspectives, Clarke offers insights that challenge and inspire readers to rethink their assumptions about faith, belief, and the divine. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.