First and Last Things
book by Herbert George Wells
First and Last Things is a 1908 work of philosophy by H. G. Wells setting forth his beliefs in four "books" entitled "Metaphysics," "Of Belief," "Of General Conduct," and "Some Personal Things." Parts of the book were published in the Independent Magazine in July and August 1908. Wells revised the book extensively in 1917, in response to his religious conversion, but later published a further revision in 1929 that restored much of the book to its earlier form. Its main intellectual influences are Darwinism and certain German thinkers Wells had read, such as August Weismann. The pragmatism of William James, who had become a friend of Wells, was also an influence.
Summary
In the first book, Wells emphasises his scepticism: neither the senses nor the mind can be relied upon uncritically, and "The world of fact is not what it appears to be." Beliefs are not convictions, but rather positions arrived at "exactly as an artist makes a picture" and are adopted "because I feel a need for them, because I feel an often quite unanalysable rightness in them. . . . My belief in them rests upon the fact that they work for me and satisfy a desire for harmony and beauty."
In the second book, devoted to his "essential beliefs," Wells asserts as "quite an arbitrary act of my mind" and "a choice" his "most comprehensive belief": "the external and the internal and myself . . . make one universe in which I and every part are ultimately important." On this point, he refuses argument, calling this "unfounded and arbitrary declaration" to be his "fundamental religious confession." But he rejects use of "the name of God" because "the run of people" would misunderstand his meaning. He affirms the freedom of the will, and asserts that "'What am I to do?' is the perpetual question of our existence." After analysing the various motives to action that he feels, he resolves them by embracing a "ruling idea," viz. an historically emerging "solidarity of humanity," although he acknowledges that "the species is still as a whole unawakened, still sunken in the delusion of the permanent separateness of the individual and of races and nations." Wells, however, regards this solidarity of humanity as a biological "fact." The direction of this human development is "to Power and Beauty," but he takes a confessedly "mystical" attitude in regard to these terms, refusing to define, or even to distinguish them. He rejects personal immortality.
The public source identifies “First and Last Things” as book by Herbert George Wells. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around First, Last and Things.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “First and Last Things”, the useful work is to connect “book by Herbert George Wells” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 13, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q5454116. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1908, 1917 and 1929.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “First and Last Things”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow First and Last Things primary sources, First and Last Things archive and First research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “First and Last Things”?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “First and Last Things” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.