Joseph Glanvill
Joseph Glanvill
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Joseph Glanvill was a 17th-century English philosopher, theologian, and writer who is often associated with the Cambridge Platonists. His full name was Joseph Glanvill, but he is sometimes referred to as Josiah Glanvill or simply Glanvill.
Birth and Death Dates
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Joseph Glanvill was born in 1636 in Stoke-in-Glamorgan, Wales. He died on November 10, 1680, at the age of 44.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Glanvill was an English philosopher and theologian by birth and profession. During his lifetime, he held various positions, including that of a fellow of the Royal Society.
Early Life and Background
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Joseph Glanvill's early life is not well-documented. However, it is known that he studied at Oxford University, where he developed an interest in philosophy and theology. This period was marked by intense intellectual curiosity, as evidenced by his involvement with various academic societies and debates.
Major Accomplishments
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Glanvill's major accomplishments include his work on the concept of "witchcraft," which led to a reconsideration of the nature of reality and the supernatural. He also made significant contributions to the development of philosophical empiricism, a movement that emphasized the importance of sensory experience in understanding the world.
Notable Works or Actions
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Some of Glanvill's notable works include:
_Saducismus Triumphatus_: A treatise on witchcraft and its connection to the supernatural.
_Philosophia Pia_: A philosophical work that explores the relationship between reason, faith, and human experience.
Impact and Legacy
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Glanvill's ideas had a lasting impact on Western philosophy. His emphasis on empirical observation and his critique of superstition influenced generations of thinkers, including John Locke and Isaac Newton.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Joseph Glanvill is widely quoted and remembered for his thought-provoking insights into the human condition. His writing style, which blended philosophy with practical wisdom, continues to inspire readers today.
Quotes by Joseph Glanvill
We have a mistaken notion of antiquity, calling that so which in truth is the world’s nonage.
The union of a sect within itself is a pitiful charity; it’s no concord of Christians, but a conspiracy against Christ; and they that love one another for their opinionative concurrence, love for their own sakes, not their Lord’s.
What’s impossible to all humanity may be possible to the metaphysics and physiology of angels.
And the will therein lieth, which dieth not. Who knoweth the mysteries of the will, with its vigor? For God is but a great will pervading all things by nature of its intentness, Man doth not yield himself to the angels, nor unto death utterly, save only through the weakness of his feeble will.
Man doth not yield him to the angels, nor unto death utterly, save only through the weakness of his feeble will.
Time, as a river, hath brought down to us what is more light and superficial, while things more solid and substantial have been immersed.
Some pretences daunt and discourage us, while others raise us to a brisk assurance.
What's impossible to all humanity may be possible to the metaphysics and physiology of angels.
They that never peeped beyond the common belief in which their easy understandings were at first indoctrinated are strongly assured of the truth of their receptions.
It is the great beauty of true religion that it shall be universal, and a departure in any instance from universality is a corruption of religion itself.