WCP5732

Published letter (WCP5732.6592)

[1] [p. 177]

TO PROF. KNIGHT1

Old Orchard, Broadstone, Dorset.2 October 1, 1913.

Dear Mr. Knight, — I have written hardly anything on the direct proofs of "immortality" except in my book on "Miracles and Modern Spiritualism,"3 and also in "My Life," Vol. II.4 But my two works, "Man's Place in the5 [2] [p. 178] Universe"6(now published at 1s.7), and my later volume, "The World of Life,"8 form together a very elaborate, and I think conclusive, scientific argument in favour of the view that the whole material universe exists and is designed for the production of immortal spirits, in the greatest possible diversity of nature, and character, corresponding with … the almost infinite diversity of that universe, in all its parts and in every detail… — Yours very truly, | ALFRED R. WALLACE.

P.S. — I am fairly well, but almost past work. — A. R. W.

1
Knight, William Angus (1836-1916). British philosopher and author.
2
Old Orchard, Broadstone, Dorset. ARW lived here from 1902 until his death in 1913. Beccaloni, G. W. 2008. Wallace timeline. The Alfred Russel Wallace Website. <http://wallacefund.info/wallace-timeline> [accessed 29 March 2019]
3
Wallace, A. R. 1875. On miracles and modern spiritualism. London, UK: James Burns.
4
Wallace, A. R. 1905. My Life: A Record of Events and Opinions, 2 vols. London, UK: Chapman & Hall, Ltd.
5
The text breaks here at the bottom of the page. The page number 177 is printed below, and to the left of this is the letter M.
6
Wallace, A. R. 1903. Man’s place in the universe; a study of the results of scientific research in relation to the unity or plurality of worlds. London, UK: Chapman & Hall.
7
One shilling (1s.) was a coin worth one twentieth of a pound, equivalent to 5 new pence, prior to decimalisation in 1971. Freeman, Len. 2011. How Britain converted to decimal currency. BBC News. <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12346083> [accessed 29 March 2019]
8
Wallace, A. R. 1910. The world of life; a manifestation of creative power, directive mind and ultimate purpose. London, UK: Chapman & Hall.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP5732.6592)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Ghosh, Susan [2019-12-17]

Please cite as “WCP5732,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP5732