Henry More 1614 – 1687
Henry More was an English philosopher and one of the foremost Cambridge Platonists. A fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge, for nearly half a century, he defended the immateriality of the soul, the existence of an immaterial spirit of nature pervading all space, and the harmony of philosophical reason with Christian religion. His Antidote against Atheism, Immortality of the Soul, and Enchiridion Metaphysicum responded in turn to Hobbes, Descartes, and Spinoza, and his concept of absolute infinite space was an influence on Newton's later natural philosophy.
Key facts
- Nationality
- English
- Era
- Modern
- Movements
- Platonism, Early Modern
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Henry More:
“There is a spiritual extension that pervades all space.”
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Attributed to Henry More:
“God is the omnipresent spirit, infinite in extension and intelligence.”
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Attributed to Henry More:
“Materialism cannot account for the unity of consciousness.”
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Attributed to Henry More:
“Reason is the ally, not the enemy, of true religion.”
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Attributed to Henry More:
“The light of reason and the light of grace shine from the same source.”