The Struggle for ImmortalityHoughton, Mifflin, 1889 - 245 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
accept argument Aristotle assert awful beautiful become believe Bible body brain called character Chris Christian church claim consecrated Creator creed culture dead death deny Descartes divine doctrine earth ence eternal existence eyes fact faith force gible give Goethe Gospel of John happiness heart heaven Herbert Spencer hope human ical impulse individual inspiration intel intellectual intelligent Jesus Christ known learned less live look matter ment mental mind misery modern mollusk moral motion mystery nature ness never Octavia Hill Origin of Species ourselves pain philosophy physical Plato psychical question race reason religion religious remember reply respect Revelation rhythm scholars scientific sense Song of Solomon soul spiritual spiritual science spiritualistic STRUGGLE FOR IMMORTALITY suffering superstition Suppose taught telepathy theology theory thing thought tianity tion to-day true trust truth unbeliever
Popular passages
Page 43 - Nature impales men, breaks them as if on the wheel, casts them to be devoured by wild beasts, burns them to death, crushes them with stones like the first Christian martyr, starves them with hunger, freezes them with cold, poisons them by the quick or slow venom of her exhalations, and has hundreds of other hideous deaths in reserve such as the ingenious cruelty of a Nabis or a Domitian never surpassed.
Page 122 - Nothing is easier than to admit in words the truth of the universal struggle for life, or more difficult — at least I have found it so — than constantly to bear this conclusion in mind.
Page 147 - When they become unfit for these purposes and afford us pain instead of pleasure, instead of an aid become an incumbrance, and answer none of the intentions for which they were given, it is equally kind and benevolent that a way is provided by which we may get rid of them. Death is that way.
Page 117 - ... the simple record of three short years of active life has done more to regenerate and soften mankind than all the disquisitions of philosophers and all the exhortations of moralists.
Page 196 - From the recorded testimony of many competent witnesses, past and present, including observations recently made by scientific men of eminence in various countries, there appears to be, amidst much illusion and deception, an important body of remarkable phenomena, which are prima facie inexplicable on any generally recognized hypothesis, and which, if incontestably established, would be of the highest possible value.
Page 117 - It was reserved for Christianity to present to the world an ideal character, which through all the changes of eighteen centuries has inspired the hearts of men with an impassioned love, has shown itself capable of acting on all ages, nations, temperaments, and conditions, has been not only the highest pattern of virtue but the strongest incentive to its practice...
Page 44 - ... never surpassed. All this Nature does with the most supercilious disregard both of mercy and of justice, emptying her shafts upon the best and noblest indifferently with the meanest and...
Page 210 - who would become a philosopher, must commence by repudiating belief ; " and he concludes one of the most remarkable passages of his writings with the observation, that, " were there a single man to be found with a firmness sufficient to efface from his mind the theories and notions vulgarly -received, and to apply his intellect free and without prevention, the best hopes might be entertained of his success.
Page 207 - ... skilful chemist. The chemist had the kindness to listen to him, and then calmly told him that there was but one unfortunate circumstance for his discovery, — that the chemical facts were precisely the converse of what he had supposed them to be. ' Well, then,' said the philosopher, ' have the goodness to tell me what they are, that I may explain them on my system.