Essay Questions

Why does Chesterton accept the idea of evolution, at least in part?

At the time of Chesterton's work, many in the scientific community were hopping along with the idea of evolution famed by Charles Darwin. Chesterton viewed this as a threat, as it could potentially significantly change the beliefs of the religious community as well. So, he did what anyone wishing to gain support would do - accept the idea. At least, in part. Chesterton says that humanity evolved physically, but not mentally. Instead, he says that the reason that humans possess could only have derived from a divine force, and that evolution should not be applied to any other fields of study.

What is Chesterton's motive behind creating this work?

Upon writing The Everlasting Man, G.K. Chesterton had a clear motive. Simply, he was trying to gain support for Christianity, and did this with a persuasive writing style. Chesterton wanted people to believe that Christianity was the religion that was "correct", therefore made it sound more appealing. He did this by making his audience, that is, humans, sound as if they were nearly divine creatures, and the only ones of their kind. This drew to Chesterton a massive audience.

In what ways did Chesterton make his work more persuasive?

Chesterton used a very persuasive writing style upon writing The Everlasting Man, in order to gain a wider audience. By making the book relatable to much of his audience, his ideas were more likely to be accepted. And, by making humans out as the supreme race, he also widened his audience. Though most of these ideas are the very ideas of Christianity, Chesterton made sure to use them to his advantage, along with an easy to understand writing style, to help convert people to this missionary religion.