Synopsis
Optimism in a democratic theodicy: discover how happiness, growth, and meaning arise from limits and patient progress.
This nonfiction work examines how ideas of God, reason, and human experience shape a hopeful view of life. It contrasts democracy in belief with autocratic, individual revelation, arguing that truth is best understood through common experience and universal reason.
- Learn how the author reframes happiness as a result of growth and balanced desire, not mere possession.
- Explore the idea that true fulfillment comes from patience, law, and gradual development rather than quick leaps.
- See how symbols like the equator of consciousness frame personal joy and suffering across a life course.
- Understand why beauty, love, and nature are valued as essential parts of a thoughtful, hopeful life.
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From the Back Cover
“He is in the light of the eye, and in the object that it shines on. He is not a curiosity, a member of a species, or a thing to be represented by any device. He is the One—the original—the all in all.” Benjamin Paul Blood’s Optimism (1860) is a testament to the idea that spiritual experience must precede religious knowledge. Impassioned by his own mystical experiences, Blood spells out an eternal nondual philosophy in a distinctly American voice that helped shape the work of William James (Varieties of Religious Experiences) and the 19th-century religious philosophers. In Optimism, we find a timeless, practical guide to faith and acceptance of whatever life delivers.
About the Author
Benjamin Paul Blood (1832-1919) is perhaps best known as a formative mystical influence on William James. The son of a wealthy landowner, Blood lived in Amsterdam, NY. While not committed to any one profession, he had an early interest in inventing and held patents for a reaping machine and a reinforced side saddle. His writing became a constant through his adult life, the bulk of which was in the form of letters and columns for a variety of newspapers in an era when the discourse was much like today’s blogs. Through the newspapers, Blood was able to bring his philosophical ideas to a churchgoing public that he considered largely immoral.Although initially receiving a lukewarm response, Blood’s most influential work, especially on William James, was the Anaesthetic Revolution and the Gist of Philosophy (1874), a 37-page pamphlet expounding on the mystical revelations prompted by the taking of ether.
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Optimism: The Lesson of Ages (Classic Reprint)
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Paperback. Condition: New. Print on Demand. This book delves into the profound questions of human existence, exploring the nature of divinity, the origins of pain, and the true meaning of happiness. Drawing upon historical and philosophical perspectives, particularly democratic and autocratic theology, the author presents a compelling narrative that challenges conventional wisdom. Through meticulous reasoning and thought-provoking insights, this book sheds new light on the complexities of the human condition and the eternal quest for purpose and fulfillment. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work, digitally reconstructed using state-of-the-art technology to preserve the original format. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in the book. print-on-demand item. Seller Inventory # 9781330140079_0
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Optimism The Lesson of Ages Classic Reprint
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PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # LW-9781330140079
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