The History of the Devil

The History of the Devil (1900) is a philosophical study by Paul Carus. A lifelong Monist, Carus sought to apply a scientific analysis to the principles of humanity's religions. Credited with bridging the gap between Eastern and Western beliefs, Carus believed that the dualism rampant in the West could be replaced in order to establish a more equitable world where difference and diversity would be accepted and nurtured, rather than suppressed. "This world of ours is a world of opposites. There is light and shade, there is heat and cold, there is good and evil, there is God and the Devil. The dualistic conception of nature has been a necessary phase in the evolution in human thought." Recognizing the need for dualism in the history of humanity, Carus sought to promote the principles of Monism in the West, believing it could lead to a universal worldview capable of uniting East and West. A positivist and pantheist, Carus believed that by pursuing "in religion the same path that science travels, [...] the narrowness of sectarianism [would] develop into a broad cosmical religion which shall be as wide and truly catholic as is science itself." To lay the groundwork for this "cosmical religion," he investigates the figure of the Devil and the historical evolution of the concept of evil, which he saw as predating belief in goodness and God. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Paul Carus' The History of the Devil is a classic of philosophy reimagined for modern readers.

Denis Mackail (1892-1971) was an English novelist and short story writer. Born in London, he was raised in a prominent family of artists and academics. Educated at St. Paul's School, he studied at Balliol College, Oxford without completing his degree before working as a set designer. Sidelined by the Great War, he found work at the War Office and Board of Trade, marrying Diana Granet in 1917. With two children to care for, Mackail began his writing career with a short story in Strand Magazine. Between 1920 and 1938, he published a novel each year, earning a reputation as a leading popular novelist and building friendships with such figures as P. G. Wodehouse and A. A. Milne. His works ranged from fiction to nonfiction, from stories of adventure and society to a biography of legendary author J. M. Barrie. Largely forgotten by the end of the twentieth century, Mackail was a dedicated man of letters whose work deserves the attention of scholars and readers alike.