Philosophy and religion explores the intersection of reason and belief, offering a critique of materialist explanations for existence while asserting the need for a spiritual foundation rooted in consciousness. The lectures build a case for the rational credibility of personal religion by challenging assumptions that separate the material world from mental and moral experience. It questions whether matter can truly exist apart from consciousness, proposing instead that reality is grounded in a universal Mind. The argument suggests that denying the spiritual nature of existence leaves morality and meaning without foundation. Through a measured philosophical lens, the work addresses the nature of God not as an abstract principle but as an intelligible necessity for understanding both existence and ethics. The text invites readers to reflect on the coherence of their beliefs by placing divine reality at the core of philosophical inquiry. It frames the search for religious truth not as blind acceptance but as an intellectual journey guided by ethical reasoning, spiritual depth, and critical reflection.
Hastings Rashdall was born on June 24, 1858, in London, United Kingdom, to parents Charles Rashdall and Caroline Sophia Rashdall. He became an influential English philosopher, Anglican priest, theologian, and historian. Educated at Harrow School and later at New College, Oxford, Rashdall made significant contributions to moral philosophy and religious thought. He is best known for developing ideal utilitarianism, a refined ethical theory that combines the utilitarian focus on outcomes with a deeper idealist commitment to moral value. He emphasized personal idealism, arguing that spiritual and moral realities are fundamental, and also supported theistic finitism, proposing that God is limited in some respects. In addition to his philosophical work, he was a respected historian of medieval education, with important studies on European universities. Influenced by thinkers such as Henry Sidgwick, T. H. Green, and J. B. Lightfoot, Rashdall sought to bridge rational analysis with spiritual understanding. His major work, The Theory of Good and Evil, published in 1907, remains a key text in ethical philosophy. He died in Worthing on February 9, 1924.
![Truth [Verite] Book I](http://www.double9books.com/cdn/shop/files/9789368098935_300179e1-8196-45a7-a5e3-156d28267b73.jpg?v=1742824179&width=200)
