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ORTHODOXY
BY
GILBERT K。 CHESTERTON
PREFACE
This book is meant to be a companion to 〃Heretics；〃 and to
put the positive side in addition to the negative。 Many critics
complained of the book called 〃Heretics〃 because it merely criticised
current philosophies without offering any alternative philosophy。
This book is an attempt to answer the challenge。 It is unavoidably
affirmative and therefore unavoidably autobiographical。 The writer has
been driven back upon somewhat the same difficulty as that which beset
Newman in writing his Apologia； he has been forced to be egotistical
only in order to be sincere。 While everything else may be different
the motive in both cases is the same。 It is the purpose of the writer
to attempt an explanation； not of whether the Christian Faith can
be believed； but of how he personally has come to believe it。
The book is therefore arranged upon the positive principle of a riddle
and its answer。 It deals first with all the writer's own solitary
and sincere speculations and then with all the startling style in
which they were all suddenly satisfied by the Christian Theology。
The writer regards it as amounting to a convincing creed。 But if
it is not that it is at least a repeated and surprising coincidence。
Gilbert K。 Chesterton。
CONTENTS
I。 Introduction in Defence of Everything Else
II。 The Maniac
III。 The Suicide of Thought
IV。 The Ethics of Elfland
V。 The Flag of the World
VI。 The Paradoxes of Christianity
VII。 The Eternal Revolution
VIII。 The Romance of Orthodoxy
IX。 Authority and the Adventurer
ORTHODOXY
I INTRODUCTION IN DEFENCE OF EVERYTHING ELSE
THE only possible excuse for this book is that it is an answer
to a challenge。 Even a bad shot is dignified when he accepts a duel。
When some time ago I published a series of hasty but sincere papers；
under the name of 〃Heretics；〃 several critics for whose intellect
I have a warm respect （I may mention specially Mr。 G。S。Street）
said that it was all very well for me to tell everybody to affirm
his cosmic theory； but that I had carefully avoided supporting my
precepts with example。 〃I will begin to worry about my philosophy；〃
said Mr。 Street； 〃when Mr。 Chesterton has given us his。〃
It was perhaps an incautious suggestion to make to a person
only too ready to write books upon the feeblest provocation。
But after all； though Mr。 Street has inspired and created this book；
he need not read it。 If he does read it； he will find that in
its pages I have attempted in a vague and personal way； in a set
of mental pictures rather than in a series of deductions； to state
the philosophy in which I have come to believe。 I will not call it
my philosophy； for I did not make it。 God and humanity made it；
and it made me。
I have often had a fancy for writing a romance about an English
yachtsman who slightly miscalculated his course and discovered England
under the impression that it was a new island in the South Seas。
I always find； however； that I am either too busy or too lazy to
write this fine work； so I may as well give it away for the purposes
of philosophical illustration。 There will probably be a general
impression that the man who landed （armed to the teeth and talking
by signs） to plant the British flag on that barbaric temple which
turned out to be the Pavilion at Brighton； felt rather a fool。
I am not here concerned to deny that he looked a fool。 But if you
imagine that he felt a fool； or at any rate that the sense of folly
was his sole or his dominant emotion； then you have not studied
with sufficient delicacy the rich romantic nature of the hero
of this tale。 His mistake was really a most enviable mistake；
and he knew it； if he was the man I take him for。 What could
be more delightful than to have in the same few minutes all the
fascinating terrors of going abroad combined with all the humane
security of coming home again？ What could be better than to have
all the fun of discovering South Africa without the disgusting
necessity of landing there？ What could be more glorious than to
brace one's self up to discover New South Wales and then realize；
with a gush of happy tears； that it was really old South Wales。
This at least seems to me the main problem for philosophers； and is
in a manner the main problem of this book。 How can we contrive
to be at once astonished at the world and yet at home in it？
How can this queer cosmic town； with its many…legged citizens；
with its monstrous and ancient lamps； how can this world give us
at once the fascination of a strange town and the comfort and honour
of being our own town？
To show that a faith or a philosophy is true from every
standpoint would be too big an undertaking even for a much bigger
book than this； it is necessary to follow one path of argument；
and this is the path that I here propose to follow。 I wish to set
forth my faith as particularly answering this double spiritual need；
the need for that mixture of the familiar and the unfamiliar
which Christendom has rightly named romance。 For the very word
〃romance〃 has in it the mystery and ancient meaning of Rome。
Any one setting out to dispute anything ought always to begin by
saying what he does not dispute。 Beyond stating what he proposes
to prove he should always state what he does not propose to prove。
The thing I do not propose to prove； the thing I propose to take
as common ground between myself and any average reader； is this
desirability of an active and imaginative life； picturesque and full
of a poetical curiosity； a life such as western man at any rate always
seems to have desired。 If a man says that extinction is better
than existence or blank existence better than variety and adventure；
then he is not one of the ordinary people to whom I am talking。
If a man prefers nothing I can give him nothing。 But nearly all
people I have ever met in this western society in which I live
would agree to the general proposition that we need this life
of practical romance； the combination of something that is strange
with something that is secure。 We need so to view the world as to
combine an idea of wonder and an idea of welcome。 We need to be
happy in this wonderland without once being merely comfortable。
It is THIS achievement of my creed that I shall chiefly pursue in
these pages。
But I have a peculiar reason for mentioning the man in
a yacht； who discovered England。 For I am that man in a yacht。
I discovered England。 I do not see how this book can avoid
being egotistical； and I do not quite see （to tell the truth）
how it can avoid being dull。 Dulness will； however； free me from
the charge which I most lament； the charge of being flippant。
Mere light sophistry is the thing that I happen to despise most of
all things； and it is perhaps a wholesome fact that this is the thing
of which I am generally accused。 I know nothing so contemptible
as a mere paradox； a mere ingenious defence of the indefensible。
If it were true （as has been said） that Mr。 Bernard Shaw lived
upon paradox； then he ought to be a mere common millionaire；
for a man of his mental activity could invent a sophistry every
six minutes。 It is as easy as lying； because it is lying。
The truth is； of course； that Mr。 Shaw is cruelly hampered by the
fact that he cannot tell any lie unless he thinks it is the truth。
I find myself under the same intolerable bondage。 I never in my life
said anything merely because I thought it funny； though of course；
I have had ordinary human vainglory； and may have thought it funny
because I had said it。 It is one thing to describe an interview
with a gorgon or a griffin； a creature who does not exist。
It is another thing to discover that the rhinoceros does exist
and then take pleasure in the fact that he looks as if he didn't。
One searches for truth； but it may be that one pursues instinctively
the more extraordinary truths。 And I offer this book with the
heartiest sentiments to all the jolly pe
