Project Gutenberg 2009-10-06 Public domain in the USA. 330 Foote, G. W. (George William) 1850 1915 Foote, George William Flowers of Freethought (First Series) Produced by David Widger "Flowers of Freethought (First Series)" by G. W. Foote is a collection of philosophical essays written in the late 19th century. This work engages in critiques of religion, superstition, and the social implications of faith, reflecting the growing movement of Freethought during that period. Foote approaches topics with a blend of satire and earnest inquiry, addressing issues such as the perception of the devil, the nature of hell, and the hypocrisy of religious leaders, aiming to provoke critical thinking among readers. The opening of "Flowers of Freethought" presents a preface that sets the tone for the essays to come, revealing Foote's ambition to be a voice in the struggle for intellectual liberation from religious dogma. He positions himself alongside historical figures who fought for freedom of thought, indicating his desire to challenge conventional religious beliefs and societal norms. The preface flows into the first essay, "Old Nick," which details the transformation of the devil's image from a figure of fear to one of mockery, illustrating how public perception of supernatural beings changes with progress in human understanding. Through sharp wit and analytical reasoning, Foote critiques the historical context surrounding superstition and its implications for society, making the case for a rational approach to understanding existence free from the constraints imposed by traditional theology. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 69.5 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Free thought BL Text Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: Philosophy & Ethics Category: Religion/Spirituality 484779 2025-10-12T10:57:05.317187 text/html 468375 2024-10-24T20:26:00 text/html 262659 2025-10-12T10:57:13.412144 application/epub+zip 270569 2025-10-12T10:57:08.463149 application/epub+zip 252986 2025-10-12T10:57:07.267167 application/epub+zip 486829 2025-10-12T10:57:17.324096 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 447608 2025-10-12T10:57:12.571155 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 418950 2022-09-14T05:01:02.590567 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 424537 2025-10-12T10:57:04.772167 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 404745 2024-10-24T20:26:00 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 16586 2025-10-12T10:57:17.449086 application/rdf+xml 14447 2025-10-12T10:57:07.765135 image/jpeg 3263 2025-10-12T10:57:07.515135 image/jpeg 255681 2025-10-12T10:57:05.354175 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia