Abstract

THIS WORK IS BASED PRIMARILY ON PARTS OF A SERIES OF LECTURES GIVEN REGULARLY BY THE AUTHOR FOR AN EXAMINATION PAPER OF THAT NAME IN THE ENGLISH LITERATURE COURSE AT CAMBRIDGE BUT IS WIDER THAN ITS TITLE SUGGESTS, FOR THE FIRST HUNDRED PAGES ARE DEVOTED TO A COMPARISON OF ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY AND CHRISTIAN THOUGHT. THERE FOLLOW CHAPTERS ON HOOKER, BACON, HOBBES, THE CAMBRIDGE PLATONISTS, SIR THOMAS BROWNE, LOCKE, SHAFTESBURY, ADDISON, HUME, CHESTERFIELD, BURKE AND COLERIDGE. WHILE THE WORK IS A SERIES OF HISTORICAL STUDIES, IT IS INSPIRED AND UNIFIED BY THE IDEA OF SHOWING THE INADEQUACY OF HUMANISM AS COMPARED TO CHRISTIANITY. (BP)