The Everlasting Man Chapter Summary & Analysis - Conclusion: The Summary of This Book and Appendices Summary

Conclusion: The Summary of This Book and Appendices Summary and Analysis

In the conclusion, Chesterton rewrites the history of the world in the form of a brief myth. In this myth, man is presented as something like a god among the rest of the animals. Though he bears certain external similarities with the other animals, what distinguishes him is his ability to reflect upon those similarities; no other animal has the gift of reason. Through his use of reason, he grasps some notion about an invisible author of the world who has instilled it with some purpose, but this notion is only vague. As an attempt to reach this idea, he creates all kinds of imaginative myths which do sincerely represent a desire to know God, even if they are filled with fanciful fictions. At the same time, the philosophers are writing and reflecting upon the nature of the world, trying to understand the abstract pattern behind it. It is only...
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