WCP5481

Letter (WCP5481.6213)

[1]

B

Parkstone, Dorset.

March 31st. 1892

Dear Mrs. Besant1

I could very easily answer the questions you send but I do not see what purpose it would serve. Opinions are of no value without stating the evidence on which they are founded.

Again, the questions seem to be onesided [sic], as none of them touch on the special teaching of Theosophy. Yet further, so few Spiritualists see Lucifer2 that the discussion would not reach them. It seems to me that to serve any useful purpose the questions should be so put as [2] to bring out the crucial differences between Spiritualists & Theosophists[.] The evidence, for each special doctrine should be summarized in the answers.

And, lastly, arrangements should be made to have the whole discussion published in Light3 as well as in the Lucifer.

Yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

1
Besant, Annie (née Wood) (1847 — 1933). British Theosophist.
2
'Lucifer' was a monthly periodical, published by The Theosophical Society, and edited by Annie Besant.
3
'Light' was a journal published by The London Spiritualist Alliance ltd.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP5481.6213)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Published letter (WCP5481.7888)

[1]1 [p. 94]

Parkstone, Dorset,

March 31st, 1892.

Dear Mrs. Besant, I could very easily answer the questions you send, but I do not see what purpose it would serve. Opinions are of no value without stating the evidence on which they are founded. Again, the questions seem altogether one-sided, as none of them touch on the special teaching of Theosophy. Yet further, so few Spiritualists see Lucifer that the discussion would not reach them. It seems to me that to serve any useful purpose the questions should be so put as to bring out the crucial differences between Spiritualists and Theosophists. The evidence for each special doctrine should be summarized in the answers. And, lastly, arrangements should be made to have the whole discussion published in Light as well as in Lucifer.

Yours very faithfully,

Alfred R. Wallace.

1
Editor Charles H. Smith's Note: A letter to Annie Besant, editor of Lucifer, responding to her survey of opinion regarding matters of common interest to theosophists and spiritualists. Printed on page 94 of the 15 April 1892 number of Lucifer.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP5481.7888)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Smith, Charles Hyde [2020-03-27]

Please cite as “WCP5481,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP5481