Lewis Freeman Mott
Published: 2017-12-07
Total Pages: 474
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Excerpt from Ernest Renan A study of Renan's life emphasizes the fact that his works, even when apparently most abstract and erudite, are in a surprising degree the product of his character and his experience; and in this experience the external is insepa rably blended with the internal. Events, books, friends, dreams, meditations, travels, little incidents and observa tions, diligent and minute investigations, all combine into a unity amid diversity, which makes up our general impres sion of this eminent personality. There is an autobiograph ical tone to all his thoughts, and the I and the editorial we are copiously employed in his writings, though with out producing the effect of egotism. His religion was not a logical system, but an experience and an outlook upon life, and his social and political philosophy also sprang rather from his observation of current and past happenings than from abstract reasoning. His moral and religious nature lay at the bottom of his thinking and gave rise to his seeming contradictions. Which of us does not find in himself anti thetical feelings, mingled pleasures and regrets, changing perspectives and varying lights and colors? Renan's un usual frankness in giving vent to his unstable moods, instead of measuring his expression by a fixed, and therefore arti ficial, standard, is one secret of the charm, the vivacity, and the actuality of his writings. It is also a reason why a review of his life is of exceptional interest. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.