In Shelley's classic essay on the "Necessity of Atheism", what do you think he meant when he said....

Question

Shelley (classic romantic poet:  1792-1822), begins by saying “THERE IS NO GOD”.   In his first 2 sentences, he says he does not believe in a “creative deity”, but yet, he seems to believe in a God, for he states, “The hypothesis of a pervading Spirit, coeternal with the universe remains unshaken.”   

What does this mean to you?   He never seems to explain and he might have meant something I am not aware of yet.

He also wrote another essay titled, "A refutation of deism".  So he is against theism and deism, but in favor of what?

Tonya in TX - Duck · Accepted Answer

I don't know. I'm not a Shelley fan, ever since I read in a college Lit class that very poem. 

To give him the benefit of the doubt, he could have meant the hypothesis itself remains unshaken. To use his words, the hypothesis of "a pervading Spirit, coeternal with the universe", remains unshaken. Meaning people still believe. 

I think he was atheist because back then there were many people who knew what was being taught by the Catholic church was false (or at least what was to them the important parts) and that the Protestant churches weren't much better. There were still holes and questions that couldn't be answered by even the greatest of religious minds of the time. I think (or maybe I hope) that he became an atheist because he knew what wasn't right, but couldn't find (because in my opinion it had not been restored yet) what was right. 

Just my opinion. I expect many thumbs down for it.

Anonymous · Answer

The spirit of the universe.  I see it as the rules of the universe, or the laws of nature, but I am starting from a different point than you.

Phil · Answer

I would interpret this spirit as the 'soul' of the universe. The soul of a man did not create the man but exists in and as part of the man.

? · Answer

seems to be a cosmic *catch 22,  if i ever heard one---what is the definitive difference between a creative diety and a pervading spirit????

johnny_zondo · Answer

well i think he means that the possibility of a diety exists. and that possibility is just as real as the universe. 

why the universe? well can you really think of somehting that can destroy the universe?

so the possibility of a gods existence is just as real as the existenc of the universe. hes not saying that god exists just like the universe....just the possibility. any logical person will agree.

Anonymous · Answer

possibly one among them somewhat mandatory scientific coverage by using fact of a extreme ailment, and by potential of having married that individual can now take earnings of the significant other's team scientific coverage.

umwut? · Answer

Could be that he was an atheist to a creator god, or the Christian god but was a deist at the time?

Then he changed his mind?

kent_shakespear · Answer

the spirit he speaks of is not separate from the universe - it IS the universe.

Trending News

In Shelley's classic essay on the "Necessity of Atheism", what do you think he meant when he said....

8 Answers