One of the recurring themes in this collection of notes is that philosophers, in discussing religion, tend to leap into arguments for the existence of God. The place to start is with a discussion of what religion is.
The most recent note in the series was about Kwame Anthony Appiah, who proposed that “religion” is a logical category, rather than a natural kind of thing (like a tree) or a social kind of thing (like a marriage). I like the philosopher’s view. But I also came across this from Thornton Wilder:
A man of religious mind believes the human race is correctable.
I also like the storyteller’s view.
Incidentally, Wilder implied that the least religious writers were Molière and Jane Austen. Neither would entertain the idea that people are correctable.
• Source and notes: I found the letter in The American Reader’s Day in Letters feature: “December 11 (1962): Thornton Wilder to Catherine Coffin.” It’s here:
https://theamericanreader.com/december-11-1962-thornton-wilder-to-catherine-coffin/
For the note on Kwame Anthony Appiah, see “Religion — what it is,” Dec. 22, 2025. It’s here:
https://hebertaylor.blogspot.com/2025/12/religion-what-it-is.html
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