WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
Canterbury Pieces cover

Canterbury Pieces

By Samuel Butler
Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

Essays, Letters & SpeechesPhilosophy & EthicsScience - Biology

About This Book

A collection of essays, dialogues and letters that probe contemporary scientific and cultural debates, especially natural selection and the analogy between organisms and machines. The pieces range from pointed satire and speculative philosophy to literary criticism and personal lucubrations, and they explore how habit, invention and mechanical adjuncts reshape human bodies, minds and societies. Exchanges of correspondence and dialogic essays engage with critics and with scientific ideas, while shorter notes consider drama, sport and social manners. The tone alternates between argumentative, ironic and reflective to examine progress, habit and the porous boundary between the living and the mechanical.

About the Author

Butler, Samuel portrait

Samuel Butler

Samuel Butler was an English novelist, essayist, and social critic, known for his satirical and thought-provoking works. His most famous novel, "Erewhon," published in 1872, presents a unique utopian society that challenges contemporary Victorian values and explores themes of evolution and morality. Butler's writings often reflect his interest in science and philosophy, as seen in his essays and critiques of Darwinism in "Evolution, Old & New." He also authored travel narratives, such as "Alps and Sanctuaries of Piedmont and the Canton Ticino," showcasing his keen observations of culture and landscape. Butler's literary contributions continue to resonate, marking him as a significant figure in 19th-century literature.

More Books by This Author

6 picks
A First Year in Canterbury Settlement cover A First Year in Canterbury Settlement by Samuel Butler Alps and Sanctuaries of Piedmont and the Canton Ticino cover Alps and Sanctuaries of Piedmont and the Canton Ticino by Samuel Butler Atlas of ancient & classical geography cover Atlas of ancient & classical geography by Samuel Butler Cambridge Pieces cover Cambridge Pieces by Samuel Butler Erewhon Revisited Twenty Years Later, Both by the Original Discoverer of the Country and by His Son cover Erewhon Revisited Twenty Years Later, Both by the Original Discoverer of the Country and by His Son by Samuel Butler Erewhon; Or, Over the Range cover Erewhon; Or, Over the Range by Samuel Butler

You May Also Like

6 picks
"'Tis Sixty Years Since" / Address of Charles Francis Adams; Founders' Day, January 16, 1913 cover "'Tis Sixty Years Since" / Address of Charles Francis Adams; Founders' Day, January 16, 1913 by Charles Francis Adams "... és a felelősségtől való rettegés" cover "... és a felelősségtől való rettegés" by Émile Faguet "A Most Unholy Trade," Being Letters on the Drama by Henry James cover "A Most Unholy Trade," Being Letters on the Drama by Henry James by Henry James "About My Father's Business": Work Amidst the Sick, the Sad, and the Sorrowing cover "About My Father's Business": Work Amidst the Sick, the Sad, and the Sorrowing by Thomas Archer "America for Americans!" / The Typical American, Thanksgiving Sermon cover "America for Americans!" / The Typical American, Thanksgiving Sermon by John Philip Newman "Bethink Yourselves!" cover "Bethink Yourselves!" by graf Leo Tolstoy