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Saints and Revolutionaries

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Saints and Revolutionaries is a non-fiction work by the writer and philosopher Olaf Stapledon, published by Heinemann in 1939.[1]

The book was part of the I Believe series, an initiative whereby leading British intellectuals of the day could pursue an argument pertinent to the times. Stapledon's friend Naomi Mitchison also contributed a volume to the series, as did J. D. Beresford, whose 1911 novel The Hampdenshire Wonder was an inspiration for Stapledon's own novel, Odd John.

Overview

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Stapledon's book pursues themes familiar to readers of his science fiction – the universe and humanity's place in it, both personally and as a species. He argues that humanity is undergoing a period of rapid change and that our beliefs, and the nature of belief itself, are changing.

Contents

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  1. To-day
  2. Saints, and Pacifism
  3. Sceptics, and Morality
  4. Revolutionaries, and Metaphysics
  5. Mainly Speculation

Relation to Stapledon's other works

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To an extent, the themes and preoccupations of Saints and Revolutionaries can be said to be present in most of Stapledon's fiction and philosophy.[citation needed] However, the posthumously-published Nebula Maker is closest in theme, as its two main protagonists embody these two roles.

References

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  1. ^ Crossley, Robert. Olaf Stapledon: Speaking for the Future. Syracuse University Press, 1994. 400.