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Single Idea 18978

[from 'Pragmatism - eight lectures' by William James, in 28. God / A. Divine Nature / 4. Divine Contradictions ]

Full Idea

We can with difficulty comprehend the character of a cosmic mind whose purposes are fully revealed by the strange mixture of good and evils that we find in this actual world's particulars.

Gist of Idea

It is hard to grasp a cosmic mind which produces such a mixture of goods and evils

Source

William James (Pragmatism - eight lectures [1907], Lec 3)

Book Reference

James,William: 'Pragmatism - eight lectures' [Dover 1995], p.43


A Reaction

And, of course, what counts as 'goods' or 'evils' seems to have a highly relative aspect to it. To claim that really it is all good is massive hope based on flimsy evidence.

Related Idea

Idea 18977 The wonderful design of a woodpecker looks diabolical to its victims [James]