Collected Essays, Volume V

Thomas Henry Huxley tests religious claims against the standards of evidence used in scientific inquiry. This volume brings together essays on Christianity, biblical interpretation, miracles and agnosticism, with replies to critics and discussions of public controversy. In the preface, he explains why his search for natural knowledge brought him into conflict with religious authority, while rejecting the claim that his arguments arise from hatred of Christianity.

In considering miracles, Huxley draws a careful distinction between an event being possible and there being good reason to believe it happened. He examines testimony for miracles and accepts that conclusions remain open to revision when evidence changes. His approach also warns free thinkers against becoming dogmatic themselves. Readers interested in the relationship between science and belief will find sustained arguments, direct challenges to opponents and a clear account of how uncertainty can coexist with reasoned conviction.