Samuel Butler A Critical Study

Excerpt from Samuel Butler: A Critical Study Outside art there is little in human life or institutions to show that men need more than cunning to maintain their ascendancy in the universal struggle. Imagination is so rare that it would seem to be merely a surplus of mental energy in individuals, of no immediate social value, and in the long run no more than a balm to leaven the lump. So long as men can satisfy their natural necessities and keep up appearances before their neighbours they are content, and, if they are bored, they will avenge themselves in quarrels and cruelty. The few individuals who are gifted with imagination are, by the gift, removed from the common life and incapacitated for it. The very few pursue their creative desire regardless of it and take the surface happenings of life (even love) as they come. Others escape from the ordinary stupid egoism of the human animal into a pride of intellect which is a more ruthless and a nobler egoism. 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.

Excerpt from Samuel Butler: A Critical Study Though a man may be stupid there is no reason why he should be stripped Of his self respect. He will make a bad enough mess Of his affairs without being helped to do so by parasites who trade on his superstitions and his vanity, by princes, priests, professed gover nors and soldiers. Beginning with rage against common men, your exasperated man of lively intelligence ends by pitying them and desiring to protect them and to urge them to protect themselves against the persons and institu tions by which they are cheated and betrayed and led to renounce their freedom. The ideas\ which sustain these persons and institutions become the Object of lifelong hatred and attack, the weapons used being irony and ridicule. Candide was written to deride the complacent Optimism which in the face of an extraordinary series of catastrophes seemed petty and childish. Life is so precious, so\ varied, and so entertaining that there is no room for trite theory as to its nature. Even in the absence Of imagination, there are enough facts available for common sense to draw a satisfactory and good-tempered con elusion. Left to itself, common sense may be trusted to do so, but while it is possible for lazy, cunning men to make a good thing out of superstition, common sense will be baffled. 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.

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.