A Protest Against Agnosticism: The Rationale or Philosophy of Belief.

FITZGERALD, Penelope F.

Published by Kegan Paul Trench Trübner & Co., London, 1890

About this Item

Half title with a long quote on "the philosophy of belief" on the verso + TP + [v] = Preface + [vii]-viii = Contents + [1]-155 + [156] = Publisher's ads for Fitzgerald's two previous books (with another "In Preparation"), Octavo. First Edition. Fitzgerald Attacks Thomas Huxley's Recent Coinage of "Agnosticism" In an 1889 issue of the Westminster Review, the English biologist, Thomas Henry Huxley (derisively called "Darwin's bulldog" by some) published an article entitled "Agnosticism" in which he proposed that term to describe the fact that human reason is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify either the belief that God exists or the belief that God does not exist.The following year, Penelope Fitzgerald (1821-1900) - who had previously published three philosophical works: The Philosophy of Self-Consciousness [1882], A Treatise on the Principle of Sufficient Reason [1887] and The Rational or Scientific Ideal of Morality [1897] - rose to the challenge Huxley had offered with this new coinage and attacked his lack of belief with a host of penetrating philosophical arguments. Original publisher's brown cloth with a gilt illustration of the scales of justice on the front cover and gilt lettering to the spine. The spine is ever so slightly worn around all of the edges. With some light browning to the front half title and the advertisement page at the end, but otherwise this a beautiful, uncut, tight, bright and clean copy of this scarce book by a woman philosopher of the late 19th Century. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

Seller Inventory # 1204

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Protest Against Agnosticism: The Rationale or Philosophy of Belief.
• Publisher: Kegan Paul Trench Trübner & Co., London
• Publication Date: 1890
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: FIRST EDITION.
• Seller catalogs:
  • Philosophy & Religions