Gilbert K. Chesterton

Heretics (eBook, ePUB)

Book of Essays

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Heretics is a collection of 20 essays originally published by G. K. Chesterton in 1905. Nothing more strangely indicates an enormous and silent evil of modern society than the extraordinary use which is made nowadays of the word "orthodox." In former days the heretic was proud of not being a heretic. It was the kingdoms of the world and the police and the judges who were heretics. He was orthodox. He had no pride in having rebelled against them; they had rebelled against him. The armies with their cruel security, the kings with their cold faces, the decorous processes of State, the reasonable processes of law--all these like sheep had gone astray. The man was proud of being orthodox, was proud of being right. If he stood alone in a howling wilderness he was more than a man; he was a church. He was the centre of the universe; it was round him that the stars swung. All the tortures torn out of forgotten hells could not make him admit that he was heretical. But a few modern phrases have made him boast of it. He says, with a conscious laugh, "I suppose I am very heretical," and looks round for applause. The word "heresy" not only means no longer being wrong; it practically means being clear-headed and courageous. The word "orthodoxy" not only no longer means being right; it practically means being wrong. All this can mean one thing, and one thing only. It means that people care less for whether they are philosophically right. For obviously a man ought to confess himself crazy before he confesses himself heretical. The Bohemian, with a red tie, ought to pique himself on his orthodoxy. The dynamiter, laying a bomb, ought to feel that, whatever else he is, at least he is orthodox. -- Gilbert K. Chesterton. Heretics is the companion volume to the previously published Orthodoxy.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Kerry Butters
• Erscheinungstermin: 9. Dezember 2019
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9788835343752
• Artikelnr.: 58911427

Autorenporträt

Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) was an English writer, philosopher, and critic known for his wit and paradoxical style. He wrote essays, novels, and poetry, often addressing social and theological issues. His works, including the Father Brown detective series and Orthodoxy, remain highly influential.Born in London, Chesterton attended St. Paul's School and the Slade School of Art. Though he trained as an illustrator, he pursued writing and gained success in journalism and literature. In 1901, he married Frances Blogg, who greatly supported his work.Chesterton engaged in lively debates with figures like George Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells. His 1922 conversion to Roman Catholicism shaped his later writings. His legacy endures through his diverse and thought-provoking works, still widely read today.