Ingersollia

Ingersoll, Robert Green, 1833-1899Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 383K words
Chapters: 39

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Ingersollia by Robert Green IngersollAuthor: Ingersoll, Robert Green, 1833-1899,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 22, 2011

Editor's review

This book is a compilation of speeches and articles by Robert Green Ingersoll, concentratedly reflecting the eloquent style of this 19th-century American orator and agnostic on religion, reason, freethought, and public issues. The writing is strongly rhythmic, adept at parallelism, irony, and plain metaphor; it is both primary material for understanding the 19th-century American freethought movement and a way for readers to feel the power of speech-style argumentation. Suitable for readers interested in intellectual history, oratorical rhetoric, and religious criticism; there is no need to read quickly—grasp the core argument of each piece and appreciate its mode of reasoning and historical context. Note that his views bear a distinct sense of their era and personal stance; readers should read with a critical eye and consult background materials, rather than using it directly as a college textbook. As a public-domain eBook, the edition is lightweight and suitable for reading and note-taking on the go.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in 19th-century American intellectual history and the freethought movement
Writers studying oratorical rhetoric, argumentative style, and public writing
General readers wishing to encounter classic texts of religious criticism and rationalism

Not a good fit for

Philosophy majors expecting systematic philosophy textbooks or rigorous academic argumentation
Readers sensitive to strongly argumentative tones and religious criticism
Readers seeking only light stories or entertainment reading

Reading tips

Start with the short pieces and speeches; after each, summarize the core claim in one sentence
Jot down names and historical events as you go, look them up together, then return to close reading
Choose two articles with different stances and read them against each other to practice identifying argumentative strategies
Read one or two pieces a day, leaving time to note your own objections and agreements in the margins

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers without a philosophy background?

Yes, but expectations need adjusting. The book consists mostly of speech-style argumentation, with plain, rhythmic language that does not rely on rigorous philosophical terminology. Readers without a background can first take in the mode of expression and the flavor of the era; when they encounter historical figures and religious allusions, they can use notes or online sources, and need not understand every argument in one sitting.

Are Ingersoll's views still worth reading today?

Yes, as a sample of intellectual history and rhetoric. Many of his topics are closely tied to 19th-century American religious controversies and the public-opinion environment; reading them today helps us understand the stance of freethinkers of the time and observe how argument appeals to emotion and common sense. Readers should treat it as a historical text, not as contemporary conclusions to be adopted wholesale.

Does reading this book require a lot of background preparation?

Not systematic preparation, but a basic outline of 19th-century American religious controversy and the freethought movement will make it smoother. At minimum, look up Ingersoll and his era first; during reading, look up unfamiliar figures, denominations, and events one by one as they arise—filling in as you go is enough.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Ingersoll, Robert Green, 1833-1899 Author

Robert Green Ingersoll (1833–1899) was a prominent nineteenth-century American orator and writer, known for his eloquence and his critique of religious orthodoxy. This site holds thirty-two of his works, including lecture collections and collected writings, commonly classified under inspirational growth. Representative titles include Walt Whitman: An Address, the multi-volume Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, and Hell: Warm Words on the Cheerful and Comforting Doctrine of Eternal Damnation. His prose is direct and incisive, using parallel structure and satire to address reason, free thought, and moral questions before ordinary audiences. His speeches were widely influential in his day and remain important sources for studying the American freethought tradition. Because public information is limited, biographical details are omitted; readers may sense his argumentative style and intellectual concerns through these works.