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compared to the future. But he argues that the inference from this attitude that the future is essentially unknowable does not square with "modern science, that is to say the relentless systematic criticism of phenomena." Not only has science made us knowledgeable about a distant, impersonal past, it also regards the ability successfully to predict to be a criterion of validity. Though the unpredictability of human behavior complicates the problem, the fact that "as individuals increase in number they begin to average out" means that "an inductive knowledge of a great number of things in the future is becoming a human possibility." Confessing himself to be among "those who believe entirely in the forces behind the individual" rather than in individuals themselves as determining causes, Wells argues that there is "no reason why we should not aspire to, and discover and use, safe and servicable, generalizations upon countless issues in the human destiny." But personal prophecy and fortune-telling will never be possible; "the knowledge of the future we may hope to gain will be general and not individual."
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Wells devotes the last part of his text to speculations about "the question what is to come after man," considering it "the most persistently fascinating and the most insoluble question in the whole world." He concludes with a statement of personal faith "in the coherency and purpose in the world and
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Observing that these two minds reach "divergent and incompatible consequences" in the spheres of morality and public affairs, Wells analyzes the reasons for which the past-oriented mind predominates and asserts that this is principally due to the evidently greater knowability of the personal past as
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Wells begins by distinguishing between "two divergent types of mind," one that judges and attaches importance principally to what has happened in the past and one that judges and attaches importance principally to what will happen in the future. To the former he attributes the adjectives "legal or
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submissive," "passive," and "oriental," and to the latter the adjectives "legislative, creative, organizing, or masterful," and "active," calling it "a more modern and much less abundant type of mind."
222:, Wells's delivery of his lecture was too rapid, but it was well received and contributed to the rapid integration of the 35-year-old Wells into the literary and intellectual elite of London in 1902.
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Anticipations of the
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The
Discovery of the Future: A Discourse Delivered to the Royal Institution on January 24, 1902
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Wells's lecture followed on the heels of the great success of his recent book,
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Travels of a
Republican Radical in Search of Hot Water
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568:The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth
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309:(New York: B.W. Huebsch, 1913), pp. 39; 33.
1142:The Country of the Blind and Other Stories
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296:(New York: B.W. Huebsch, 1913), pp. 27-28.
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1110:The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind
16:1902 philosophical lecture by H. G. Wells
283:(New York: B.W. Huebsch, 1913), pp. 6-7.
1335:The Queer Story of Brownlow's Newspaper
1163:The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents
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361:(New York: B.W. Huebsch, 1913), p. 56.
348:(New York: B.W. Huebsch, 1913), p. 50.
335:(New York: B.W. Huebsch, 1913), p. 46.
322:(New York: B.W. Huebsch, 1913), p. 40.
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241:(Simon & Schuster, 1973), p. 161.
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197:in the greatness of human destiny."
1156:Select Conversations with an Uncle
784:Mr. Blettsworthy on Rampole Island
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1075:The Story of a Great Schoolmaster
935:An Englishman Looks at the World
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389:H.G. Wells: Another Kind of Life
252:H.G. Wells: Another Kind of Life
1424:The Man Who Could Work Miracles
1307:The Man Who Could Work Miracles
391:(Peter Owen, 2010), pp. 154-55.
736:The Secret Places of the Heart
1:
1149:The Plattner Story and Others
1005:Mind at the End of Its Tether
768:The World of William Clissold
370:Norman and Jeanne Mackenzie,
237:Norman and Jeanne Mackenzie,
1462:Simon Wells (great-grandson)
1068:A Short History of the World
704:Mr. Britling Sees It Through
664:The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman
20:The Discovery of the Future
1370:A Story of the Days to Come
942:Experiment in Autobiography
928:The Discovery of the Future
808:The Shape of Things to Come
792:The Autocracy of Mr. Parham
504:The Island of Doctor Moreau
426:public domain audiobook at
423:The Discovery of the Future
406:The Discovery of the Future
359:The Discovery of the Future
346:The Discovery of the Future
333:The Discovery of the Future
320:The Discovery of the Future
307:The Discovery of the Future
294:The Discovery of the Future
281:The Discovery of the Future
266:The Discovery of the Future
254:(Peter Owen, 2010), p. 154.
147:The Discovery of the Future
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1177:Twelve Stories and a Dream
1103:The Way the World Is Going
872:Babes in the Darkling Wood
760:Christina Alberta's Father
1384:Triumphs of a Taxidermist
552:The First Men in the Moon
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1391:The Truth About Pyecraft
1377:A Story of the Stone Age
1293:Mr. Ledbetter's Vacation
1230:The Country of the Blind
1202:The Argonauts of the Air
914:Certain Personal Matters
888:You Can't Be Too Careful
696:The Research Magnificent
592:In the Days of the Comet
76:Philosophical literature
1300:The Lord of the Dynamos
1170:Tales of Space and Time
624:The History of Mr Polly
372:H.G. Wells: A Biography
239:H.G. Wells: A Biography
178:Smithsonian Institution
1501:1902 non-fiction books
1272:The Empire of the Ants
1047:The Outline of History
977:God the Invisible King
840:The Camford Visitation
800:The Bulpington of Blup
656:The Passionate Friends
536:When the Sleeper Wakes
269:. B. W. Huebsch. 1913.
1511:Futures studies media
1457:Joseph Wells (father)
1265:A Dream of Armageddon
1216:The Chronic Argonauts
1124:A Year of Prophesying
1054:Russia in the Shadows
998:Mankind in the Making
970:The Future in America
956:First and Last Things
880:All Aboard for Ararat
528:The War of the Worlds
152:philosophical lecture
1506:Books by H. G. Wells
1398:A Vision of Judgment
1258:The Door in the Wall
1082:This Misery of Boots
712:The Soul of a Bishop
544:Love and Mr Lewisham
512:The Wheels of Chance
180:. Available online.
1467:H. G. Wells Society
1314:The New Accelerator
1244:A Deal in Ostriches
1061:The Science of Life
1040:The Open Conspiracy
1026:The New World Order
640:The New Machiavelli
496:The Wonderful Visit
387:Michael Sherborne,
250:Michael Sherborne,
44:Original title
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1452:Anthony West (son)
1328:The Plattner Story
1286:The Land Ironclads
1209:The Beautiful Suit
1096:War and the Future
1033:New Worlds for Old
984:In the Fourth Year
848:Apropos of Dolores
816:The Croquet Player
672:The World Set Free
632:The Sleeper Awakes
600:The War in the Air
212:Fortnightly Review
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1321:The Pearl of Love
1251:The Diamond Maker
520:The Invisible Man
411:Project Gutenberg
160:Royal Institution
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1481:(1979 film)
1447:G. P. Wells
1408:Screenplays
1134:Collections
1117:World Brain
991:Little Wars
963:Floor Games
921:Crux Ansata
608:Tono-Bungay
464:H. G. Wells
156:H. G. Wells
38:H. G. Wells
1495:Categories
899:Nonfiction
226:References
201:Background
150:is a 1902
776:Meanwhile
752:The Dream
82:Publisher
1356:The Star
1223:The Cone
824:Brynhild
648:Marriage
428:LibriVox
184:Synopsis
54:Language
1435:Related
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62:Subject
57:English
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707:(1916)
699:(1915)
691:(1915)
683:(1915)
680:Bealby
675:(1914)
667:(1914)
659:(1913)
651:(1912)
643:(1911)
635:(1910)
627:(1910)
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611:(1909)
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531:(1898)
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507:(1896)
499:(1895)
491:(1895)
480:Novels
169:Nature
138:
125:
66:Future
34:Author
576:Kipps
110:Pages
72:Genre
688:Boon
97:1902
409:at
166:in
154:by
1497::
113:95
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456:e
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442:v
378:.
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