Items related to The Note-Books of Samuel Butler (Classic Reprint)

The Note-Books of Samuel Butler (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Butler, Samuel

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9781440089695: The Note-Books of Samuel Butler (Classic Reprint)

Synopsis

Explore a razor-sharp portrait of Samuel Butler, a fearless thinker who shaped modern critique. This edition gathers introductory writing and note-book reflections that reveal the mind of a remarkable 19th‑century observer—pragmatic, independent, and relentlessly curious about how ideas take hold.

Two concise sections frame Butler’s life and method: an accessible introduction to his heterodox views and a selection of his day‑to‑day observations. The result is a clear, patient look at how he thought, judged, and wrote across art, science, and daily life.


  • How Butler questioned authority in religion, art, and science without surrendering value to any field.

  • Why he trusted experience and honest reflection over formulaic doctrines.

  • Examples of his habit of noting ideas, music, and impressions with disciplined, careful thought.

  • Context for his influence on later pragmatism and the tradition of personal critical writing.



Ideal for readers seeking a thoughtful, accessible study of a provocative mind and a window into the origin of modern critical thinking. This edition is well suited to students, general readers, and anyone curious about the roots of pragmatic philosophy and literary criticism.

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About the Author

Samuel Butler (1835-1902) is best known for his utopian satire “Erewhon”, his posthumous novel “The Way of All Flesh”, and his translations of Homer. His family background made a career in the Church inevitable, but, while serving a low-income parish in London, he began to question his faith. He lived in New Zealand for five years, and later in life spent time in Italy.

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