FIRST AND LAST THINGS

A CONFESSION OF FAITH AND RULE OF LIFE

By H.G. Wells


CONTENTS


[ INTRODUCTION. ]


[ BOOK THE FIRST. — METAPHYSICS. ]

[ 1.1. THE NECESSITY FOR METAPHYSICS. ]

[ 1.2. THE RESUMPTION OF METAPHYSICAL ENQUIRY. ]

[ 1.3. THE WORLD OF FACT. ]

[ 1.4. SCEPTICISM OF THE INSTRUMENT. ]

[ 1.5. THE CLASSIFICATORY ASSUMPTION. ]

[ 1.6. EMPTY TERMS. ]

[ 1.7. NEGATIVE TERMS. ]

[ 1.8. LOGIC STATIC AND LIFE KINETIC. ]

[ 1.9. PLANES AND DIALECTS OF THOUGHT. ]

[ 1.10. PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS FROM THESE CONSIDERATIONS. ]

[ 1.11. BELIEFS. ]

[ 1.12. SUMMARY. ]


[ BOOK THE SECOND — OF BELIEFS ]

[ 2.1. MY PRIMARY ACT OF FAITH. ]

[ 2.2. ON USING THE NAME OF GOD. ]

[ 2.3. FREE WILL AND PREDESTINATION. ]

[ 2.4. A PICTURE OF THE WORLD OF MEN. ]

[ 2.5. THE PROBLEM OF MOTIVES THE REAL PROBLEM OF LIFE. ]

[ 2.6. A REVIEW OF MOTIVES. ]

[ 2.7. THE SYNTHETIC MOTIVE. ]

[ 2.8. THE BEING OF MANKIND. ]

[ 2.9. INDIVIDUALITY AN INTERLUDE. ]

[ 2.10. THE MYSTIC ELEMENT. ]

[ 2.11. THE SYNTHESIS. ]

[ 2.12. OF PERSONAL IMMORTALITY. ]

[ 2.13. A CRITICISM OF CHRISTIANITY. ]

[ 2.14. OF OTHER RELIGIONS. ]

[ 2.15. ]


[ BOOK THE THIRD — OF GENERAL CONDUCT ]

[ 3.1. CONDUCT FOLLOWS FROM BELIEF. ]

[ 3.2. WHAT IS GOOD? ]

[ 3.3. SOCIALISM. ]

[ 3.4. A CRITICISM OF CERTAIN FORMS OF SOCIALISM. ]

[ 3.5. HATE AND LOVE. ]

[ 3.6. THE PRELIMINARY SOCIAL DUTY. ]

[ 3.7. WRONG WAYS OF LIVING. ]

[ 3.8. SOCIAL PARASITISM AND CONTEMPORARY INJUSTICES. ]

[ 3.9. THE CASE OF THE WIFE AND MOTHER. ]

[ 3.10. ASSOCIATIONS. ]

[ 3.11. OF AN ORGANIZED BROTHERHOOD. ]

[ 3.12. CONCERNING NEW STARTS AND NEW RELIGIONS. ]

[ 3.13. THE IDEA OF THE CHURCH. ]

[ 3.14. OF SECESSION. ]

[ 3.15. A DILEMMA. ]

[ 3.16. A COMMENT. ]

[ 3.17. WAR. ]

[ 3.18. WAR AND COMPETITION. ]

[ 3.19. MODERN WAR. ]

[ 3.20. OF ABSTINENCES AND DISCIPLINES. ]

[ 3.21. ON FORGETTING, AND THE NEED OF PRAYER,
READING, DISCUSSION AND WORSHIP ]

[ 3.22. DEMOCRACY AND ARISTOCRACY. ]

[ 3.23. ON DEBTS OF HONOUR. ]

[ 3.24. THE IDEA OF JUSTICE. ]

[ 3.25. OF LOVE AND JUSTICE. ]

[ 3.26. THE WEAKNESS OF IMMATURITY. ]

[ 3.27. POSSIBILITY OF A NEW ETIQUETTE. ]

[ 3.28. SEX. ]

[ 3.29. THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE. ]

[ 3.30. CONDUCT IN RELATION TO THE THING THAT IS. ]

[ 3.31. CONDUCT TOWARDS TRANSGRESSORS. ]


[ BOOK THE FOURTH — SOME PERSONAL THINGS. ]

[ 4.1. PERSONAL LOVE AND LIFE. ]

[ 4.2. THE NATURE OF LOVE. ]

[ 4.3. THE WILL TO LOVE. ]

[ 4.4. LOVE AND DEATH. ]

[ 4.5. THE CONSOLATION OF FAILURE. ]

[ 4.6. THE LAST CONFESSION. ]


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