Samuel Clarke facts for kids
Samuel Clarke (born October 11, 1675 – died May 17, 1729) was an English philosopher and a church leader in the Anglican church. He is seen as a very important British thinker between John Locke and George Berkeley. Clarke made changes to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer to remove ideas about the Trinity. These changes still affect how modern Unitarians worship today.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Samuel Clarke was born in Norwich, England. His father, Edward Clarke, was a local leader and a Member of Parliament. Samuel went to Norwich School and then to Caius College, Cambridge University. His teacher at Cambridge, John Ellis, was a friend of the famous scientist Isaac Newton. However, Ellis taught the older ideas of Cartesianism, which were popular at the university then.
Clarke, though, became very interested in Newton's new ideas about physics. He showed how good Newton's system was by adding notes to a physics textbook that followed the older Cartesian ideas. This book came out in 1697. That same year, Clarke met William Whiston, another follower of Newton. This meeting led Clarke to become a chaplain (a church minister) for Bishop John Moore. Later, Queen Anne made him one of her chaplains. In 1709, he became the rector (head priest) of St James's Church, Piccadilly in London. This church was near Isaac Newton, and Clarke became friends with him.
Lectures on God and Science
Clarke gave special lectures for two years, known as the Boyle Lectures. These lectures were used by thinkers who followed Newton to argue against people who doubted religion, like deists.
In 1704, Clarke talked about The Being and Attributes of God. He tried to show that God exists and has certain qualities, using scientific and logical arguments. In 1705, he spoke about The Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion. These lectures were later published together as books.
Clarke was well-known for trying to prove that God exists. He argued that we can see God's intelligence and power by looking at the world around us. He believed that the order and beauty in nature show there must be a wise and powerful creator. He said that things like time and space are not separate things, but qualities of God.
Clarke's work on God's existence started a big discussion in Britain that lasted for many years.
Debate About the Mind
From 1707 to 1708, Samuel Clarke had a public discussion with Anthony Collins, an English thinker who questioned traditional religious ideas. Their debate was about what consciousness is.
Collins believed that consciousness was something that came from the brain itself, like an emergent property. Clarke disagreed, arguing that the mind and consciousness must be separate from physical matter. They also talked about where consciousness comes from, what makes a person who they are, and whether people have free will.
This debate started because of an earlier argument in 1706 about whether the soul is immortal. Clarke wrote against the ideas of Henry Dodwell, saying that the soul, being non-physical, must live forever. Collins then wrote to defend Dodwell. Clarke's own book on this topic grew very large, including Collins's replies.
Views on the Trinity
The Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity (1712)
Samuel Clarke studied the Bible in its original languages and also read early Christian writings. In 1710, he earned his doctor's degree in divinity. For his degree, he argued that no Christian belief in the Bible goes against reason, and that religion needs human freedom to act. His defense was very impressive. However, the professor in charge felt that Clarke's ideas about the Trinity were not traditional. Clarke had to promise to follow the 39 Articles (rules of the Church of England). He then tried to explain his views in a book.
In 1712, Clarke published his book, The Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity. It had three parts:
- The first part looked at Bible verses about the Trinity.
- The second part explained his own ideas about the Trinity.
- The third part looked at parts of the Church of England's worship book that talked about the Trinity.
Some people, like William Whiston, said that Clarke was warned not to publish such a controversial book because of the political situation at the time. But Clarke went ahead anyway.
Clarke's views were seen by some as "moderate Arianism". This means he believed that Jesus was very important but not exactly equal to God the Father, which is different from the traditional Trinity belief. His ideas were less extreme than some other thinkers of his time. He carefully examined many Bible verses and rejected a specific phrase (the Johannine Comma) that supports the Trinity.
Changing the Prayer Book
Clarke was pressured to take back his Nontrinitarian ideas by 1724. But he kept these beliefs to himself. That year, he secretly changed his own copy of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. He removed parts that mentioned the Trinity and the Athanasian Creed. This changed book was not published, but copies were made. His son later gave the original book to the British Library.
Later, a minister named Theophilus Lindsey found a copy of Clarke's changed prayer book. Using Clarke's work as a guide, Lindsey published his own Unitarian prayer book in 1774. He started using it with his church group. In 1785, Lindsey's book was changed again by James Freeman for use at King's Chapel in Boston, USA. A version of this book is still used there today.
Discussions with Leibniz
In 1715 and 1716, Clarke had an important discussion with the German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz. They talked about the basic ideas of natural philosophy (science) and religion. Their discussion ended when Leibniz died. Their letters and papers were published together in 1717.
Later Life and Passing
In 1719, Clarke was given a new job as the master of Wigston's hospital in Leicester. In 1727, after Sir Isaac Newton died, Clarke was offered Newton's old job as Master of the Mint, which paid a lot of money. But he turned down the offer.
On May 11, 1729, Clarke became suddenly ill while going to preach. He died the following Saturday in London. His funeral was held on May 22.
His Writings
Translations
Clarke translated a Latin book on physics by Jacques Rohault. He finished this before he was 22. Rohault's book was based on older ideas, but Clarke's translation (1697) had notes that showed how Newton's ideas were better. This book was used in universities for a long time. His younger brother, John, translated it into English in 1723.
In 1706, Clarke translated Newton's famous book Opticks into Latin. Newton gave him £500 for this work. In 1709, Clarke also helped revise an English translation of the Apostolical Constitutions. In 1712, he published a special edition of Caesar's Commentaries with pictures.
In 1729, he published the first twelve books of Homer's Iliad. This edition was praised by others. Three years after he died, the last twelve books of the Iliad were published by his son, Samuel Clarke. His son said that his father had worked on and added notes to the first few of these books.
Other Works
In 1699, Clarke published two books: Three Practical Essays on Baptism, Confirmation and Repentance and Some Reflections on that part of a book called Amyntor... In 1701, he published A Paraphrase upon the Gospel of St Matthew. This was followed by similar books on the Gospels of St Mark, St Luke, and St John. These books were later printed together.
In 1724, Clarke published seventeen sermons, some of which had not been printed before. In 1728, a letter from Dr. Clarke to Benjamin Hoadly was published, discussing the speed and force of moving objects.
Soon after Clarke's death, his brother, Dr. John Clarke, published An Exposition of the Church Catechism and ten volumes of sermons. The Exposition was based on lectures Samuel Clarke gave at St James's church. He had prepared them for printing before he died.
Moral Ideas
Clarke had a moral theory he called "fitness." He believed that actions have an objective "fitness" or rightness, much like how things in the physical world fit together. He thought that God gave actions this "fitness," just as God gave laws to nature. He believed this "fitness" was as unchanging as natural laws. Many philosophers discussed and debated his theory.
Influence on Others
Samuel Clarke had an impact on thinkers during the Enlightenment. He left notes on the Book of Common Prayer. These notes later became the basis for Theophilus Lindsey's The Book of Common Prayer Reformed According to the Plan of the Late Dr. Samuel Clarke in 1774, and other similar worship books.
Family Life
Clarke married his cousin, Katherine Lockwood, in 1700. They had seven children, but only five lived longer than him. Only three children (Samuel, Dorothy, and Katherine) were mentioned in their mother's will. Clarke's son, Samuel Clarke, died around 1778 without having any children.
Writings
- A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God: and Other Writings, edited by Ezio Vailati, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
- G. W. Leibniz and Samuel Clarke. Correspondence, edited by Roger Ariew, Indianapolis: Hackett, 2000.
See also
In Spanish: Samuel Clarke para niños
- Axiom of equity
- Thomas Chubb
