The Oracle Of Reason
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The Oracle Of Reason
''The Oracle of Reason, or Philosophy Vindicated'' was the first avowedly atheistic periodical to be published in Britain. It was founded by Charles Southwell, William Chilton and John Field in 1841, and lasted until 1843. Several of its editors were imprisoned for blasphemy. History The ''Oracle'' owed its origins to a split in Robert Owen's Universal Community Society. For the early background, see Charles Southwell. The first issue of the weekly ''Oracle'' was published on 6 November 1841 (price: 1 d), and the last issue was dated 2 December 1843. It was published 6 November 1841 to 8 January 1842, then there was a gap before publication resumed from 12 February 1842 to 2 December 1843.Royle 1974, p.321. According to Royle (1974, p. 74), it was "at first highly successful, selling on average about four thousand copies a week." The first editor of the ''Oracle'' was Charles Southwell. George Jacob Holyoake took over when Southwell was imprisoned, and when Holyoake was i ...
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Atheism
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no deities. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which in its most general form is the belief that at least one deity exists. The first individuals to identify themselves as atheists lived in the 18th century during the Age of Enlightenment. The French Revolution, noted for its "unprecedented atheism", witnessed the first significant political movement in history to advocate for the supremacy of human reason.Extract of page 22
In 1967, Albania declared itself the first official atheist coun ...
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Henry Hetherington
Henry Hetherington (June 1792 – 24 August 1849) was an English printer, bookseller, publisher and newspaper proprietor who campaigned for social justice, a free press, universal suffrage and religious freethought. Together with his close associates, William Lovett, John Cleave and James Watson, he was a leading member of numerous co-operative and radical groups, including the Owenite British Association for the Promotion of Co-operative Knowledge, the National Union of the Working Classes and the London Working Men's Association. As proprietor of ''The Poor Man's Guardian'' he played a major role in the "War of the Unstamped" and was imprisoned three times for refusing to pay newspaper stamp duty. He was a leader of the "moral force" wing of the Chartist movement and a supporter of pro-democracy movements in other countries. His name is included on the Reformers' Memorial in Kensal Green Cemetery. Biography Early years Hetherington was born in June 1792 in Compton Street ...
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Publications Established In 1841
To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Convention, article 3(3)
URL last accessed 2010-05-10.
Universal Copyright Convention, Geneva text (1952), article VI
. URL last accessed 2010-05-10.
While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other content, including paper (

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Atheism In The United Kingdom
Irreligion in the United Kingdom is somewhat less prevalent than in most of Europe, with about 8% indicating they are atheistic in 2018. A third of Anglicans polled in a 2013 survey doubted the existence of God, while 15% of those with no religion believed in some higher power, and deemed themselves "spiritual" or even "religious." 1700–1850 Organised activism for irreligion in the United Kingdom derived its roots from the legacy of British Nonconformist (Protestantism), nonconformists. The South Place Religious Society, which would later become associated with the Ethical movement, was founded in 1793 as an organisation of Philadelphians or Universalists. In 1811 ''The Necessity of Atheism'' was published by a young University of Oxford, Oxford student, Percy Bysshe Shelley. It was one of the first printed, open avowals of irreligion in England. ''The Oracle of Reason'', the first avowedly-atheist periodical publication in British history, was published from 1841 to 1843 b ...
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Atheism Publications
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no deities. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which in its most general form is the belief that at least one deity exists. The first individuals to identify themselves as atheists lived in the 18th century during the Age of Enlightenment. The French Revolution, noted for its "unprecedented atheism", witnessed the first significant political movement in history to advocate for the supremacy of human reason.Extract of page 22
In 1967, Albania declared itself the first official atheist cou ...
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William John Birch
William John Birch (1811–1891) was an English rationalist writer. Background and early life He was the son of Jonathan Birch (died 1848, at age 76) of St Pancras, London, and his wife Mary Elizabeth Morrice (died 1822), daughter of William Morrice. His family background was largely clerical. Jonathan Birch had been an East India Company ship captain, making a number of voyages. A brother and two sisters of William John died young. Jonathan Birch resided in Gower Street, London, and at Pudlicote House, near Shorthampton in Oxfordshire, built in 1810, which he purchased in 1822. He died at Alford, Lincolnshire, in 1848. After his death, his brother George made a case on the interpretation of his will of 1845 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. William John Birch was educated at Balliol College, Oxford and New Inn Hall, graduating B.A. in 1832, M.A. 1835. He entered Lincoln's Inn in 1832 and was called to the bar in 1841. He did not practise the law. In 1840 Birch ...
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James Watson (radical)
James Watson (21 September 1799 – 29 November 1874) was an English radical publisher, activist and Chartist. His colleagues in political activity included Henry Hetherington, William Lovett, Thomas Wakley, Thomas Slingsby Duncombe, and Thomas Cooper. Early life He was born at Malton, North Yorkshire, on 21 September 1799. His father died when he was only a year old. His mother, who was a Sunday school teacher, taught him to read and write. Around the year of 1811, she returned to domestic service in the household of a clergyman, who had paid for James's schooling and tuitions for a brief period. He had worked there as under-gardener, in the stables and as house-servant, and he read widely. From about 1817 Watson was with his mother in Leeds, where he became a warehouseman. In London Watson was converted to freethought and radicalism by public readings from William Cobbett and Richard Carlile. He spread literature and helped with a subscription on behalf of Carlile. Carlile wa ...
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Lambeth
Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth, historically in the County of Surrey. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area experienced some slight growth in the medieval period as part of the manor of Lambeth Palace. By the Victorian era the area had seen significant development as London expanded, with dense industrial, commercial and residential buildings located adjacent to one another. The changes brought by World War II altered much of the fabric of Lambeth. Subsequent development in the late 20th and early 21st centuries has seen an increase in the number of high-rise buildings. The area is home to the International Maritime Organization. Lambeth is home to one of the largest Lusophone, Portuguese-speaking communities in the UK, and is the second most commonly spoken language in Lambeth after English language, English. History Medieval The origins of the ...
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Anti-Persecution Union
The Anti-Persecution Union was an organisation established by the freethinkers George Jacob Holyoake and Emma Martin in 1842, to aid in defending individuals accused of blasphemy and blasphemous libel. Its object was "to assert and maintain the right of free discussion, and to protect and defend the victims of intolerance and bigotry". Formation and purpose Described as a "militant freethought league", the Union came on the heels of a number of prosecutions for blasphemy. As such, its efforts were "defensive as well as propagandistic". Following the prosecution of Charles Southwell, and building on the "Committee for the Protection of Mr. Southwell" established for him, The Oracle of Reason encouraged its readers to assist in the formation of a Union:whose great and glorious objects shall be to abolish all law or legal practice which shackles expression of opinion, and to protect and indemnify all, or whatever persuasion, whether Jew, Christian, Infidel, Atheist, or other denom ...
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Holywell Street, London
Holywell Street was a brief, secondary, northern carriageway of part of the Strand, London. It was accordingly subsumed in name when the Strand was widened in 1900. Aside from housing above it was the centre for the sale of romance books and pornography in Victorian London During the 19th century, London grew enormously to become a global city of immense importance. It was the largest city in the world from about 1825, the world's largest port, and the heart of international finance and trade. Railways connecting ... during which time it was known as 'Booksellers' Row'. References External links James Partleton (1837-1876)Lost London: a Victorian Street for Friggers and Radicals
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Cheltenham
Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the most complete Regency town in Britain. The town hosts several festivals of culture, often featuring nationally and internationally famous contributors and attendees; they include the Cheltenham Literature Festival, the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, the Cheltenham Science Festival, the Cheltenham Music Festival, the Cheltenham Cricket Festival and the Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival. In steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup is the main event of the Cheltenham Festival, held every March. History Cheltenham stands on the small River Chelt, which rises nearby at Dowdeswell and runs through the town on its way to the Severn. It was first recorded in 803, as ''Celtan hom''; the meaning has not been resol ...
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Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties of England, historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its southern suburbs were transferred from Derbyshire to the city council. It is the largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The city is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines and the valleys of the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don with its four tributaries: the River Loxley, Loxley, the Porter Brook, the River Rivelin, Rivelin and the River Sheaf, Sheaf. Sixty-one per cent of Sheffield's entire area is green space and a third of the city lies within the Peak District national park. There are more than 250 parks, woodlands and gardens in the city, which is estimated to contain around 4.5 million trees. The city is south of Leeds, east of Manchester, and north ...
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