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Edward Feser defends the 'Neo-Platonic proof' for the existence of the God of classical theism. After articulating the argument and a number of preliminaries, I first argue that premise three of Feser's argument – the causal principle that every composite object requires a sustaining efficient cause to combine its parts – is both unjustified and dialectically ill-situated. I then argue that the Neo-Platonic proof fails to deliver the mindedness of the absolutely simple being and instead militates against its mindedness. Finally, I uncover two tensions between Trinitarianism and the Neo-Platonic proof and one tension between the Neo-Platonic proof (and, more generally, classical theism) and the incarnation.

Im Herz der Finsternis (1899) etwa schlängelt sich der Kongo lautlos durch die "erhabene Stille des Urwalds": Die Geschichte von Kapitän Marlowe, der sich auf die Suche nach dem rätselhaften und grausamen Elfenbeinhändler Kurtz ins dunkle Afrika aufmacht, spielt sich vorwiegend in der "schweigenden Wildnis" ab. Erst als Marlowe Kurtz zum ersten Mal zu Gesicht bekommt, durchbricht ein schriller Schrei die Lautlosigkeit. Zunächst nur "ein Wort" in den Erzählungen der Eingeborenen, stellt sich der dämonische Redner nun "als eine Stimme dar". Und als Kurtz mit dem flüsternden Ausruf "Das Grauen! Das Grauen!" sein Leben schließlich aushaucht, wird die Wahrheit dieser Einschätzung offenbar: "Er war kaum mehr gewesen als eine Stimme".

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- Acknowledgments -- General Introduction: Readings in Imperialism and Orientalism -- Volume Introduction: The Scramble for Africa -- I . THE BERLIN CONFERENCE 1885: MAKING/MAPPING HISTORY -- Introduction: The Scramble for Africa: From the Conference at Berlin to the Incident at Fashoda -- Chronology of Events -- Africa in 1886: The Scramble Half Complete [map] -- Africa after the Scramble, 1912 [map] -- Africa 1898, with Charter Companies [map] -- Excerpts from Heart of Darkness -- Africa -- General Act of the Conference of Berlin -- ''The Black Baby'' (1894) [illustration] -- International Rivalry and the Berlin Conference -- ''The 'Irrepressible' Tourist'' (1885) [illustration] -- Excerpt from ''The Modern Traveller'' -- The Fashoda Incident -- Geography and Statecraft -- ''Marchez! Marchand!'' (1898) [illustration] -- Excerpt from Travels in Africa during the Years 1882–1886 -- ''Africa Shared Out'' (1899) [editorial with cartoon] -- II. THE BODY POLITIC : RATIONALIZING RACE -- Introduction: The Body Politic: Rationalizing Race -- SLAVES -- The African Slave Trade -- William Pitt the Younger Indicts the Slave Trade and Forsees a Liberated Africa -- The Nigger Question -- The Noble Savage -- SPECIES -- Moral and Intellectual Characteristics of the Three Great Varieties -- Struggle for Existence -- On the Formation of the Races of Man -- Excerpt from ''Darwin'' -- Comparative Physiognomy -- Excerpts from The Future of Science -- SELF-GOVERNANCE -- Nation-Making -- The Primitive Man—Intellectual -- The Principles of the Relations of Our Civilization to the Tropics -- Excerpts from Kafir Socialism -- How the Leopard Got His Spots -- III. THE POLITICAL CORPS -- THE MISSION -- Introduction: The Mission: Christianity, Civilization, and Commerce -- Excerpts from Salvation Army Songs -- Dr. Livingstone's Cambridge Lectures -- Excerpts from How I Found Livingstone -- Livingstone's Journeys, 1841–1856 [map] -- Preparing the Empire: Livingstone and Stanley in Central Africa -- In Memory of Dr. Livingstone -- Dr. Livingstone -- Influence of Christianity upon Moral and Intellectual Diversity of Races -- The Bishop and the Philosopher -- Excerpts from The Surplus -- Excerpts from The Salvation Army British Empire Exhibition Handbook -- The Administration: Lugard and the royal niger company -- Introduction: Inheritors of Empire, Agents of Change: Lord Lugard and Mary Kingsley -- Royal Charter Granted to the National African Company, Later Called the Royal Niger Company -- Selected Correspondence: The Royal Niger Company -- Exerpts from The Diaries of Lord Lugard: Nigeria -- Duties of Political Officers and Miscellaneous Subjects -- Excerpts from The Dual Mandate in British Tropical Africa -- The Clash of Cultures -- A Letter to the Editor of ''The New Africa'' -- Excerpts from A Tropical Dependency -- The Administration: Cecil J. Rhodes And The British South Africa Company -- INTRODUCTION Cecil J. Rhodes: Colossus or Caricature? -- Excerpt from Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland -- ''The Rhodes Colossus'' (1892) [illustration] -- ''My Career Is Only Beginning!'' (1896) [illustration] -- ''South Africa before and after Cecil Rhodes'' (1896) [map] -- We Abandon Hope -- My Uncle's Gift Is Many Times Multiplied -- Excerpts from The Speeches of Cecil Rhodes 1881–1900 -- Excerpts from Men, Mines, and Animals in South Africa -- Personal Reminiscences of Mr. Rhodes -- The Last Will and Testament of Cecil John Rhodes -- The Burial -- IV. CRISES OF EMPIRE -- Gordon at Khartoum -- Introduction: Gordon at Khartoum: From Cavil to Catastrophe -- Chronology of Events -- Excerpts from The Journals of Major-General C. G. Gordon, C. B. at Kartoum -- ''At Last!'' (1885) [illustration] -- ''Too Late!'' (1885) [illustration] -- Letters to Mary Gordon -- The End of General Gordon -- Relief Expedition -- Excerpts from Gordon at Khartoum -- The Desertion of General Gordon -- Excerpt from In Relief of Gordon -- Excerpt from Fire and Sword in the Sudan -- The Siege and Fall of Khartum -- Act the Fifth: The End -- ''Fuzzy-Wuzzy'' -- The Graphic Christmas Number, 1887 -- ''Gordon's Dream—The Martyr-Hero of Khartoum'' (1887) [illustration] -- The Anglo-Boer war -- Introduction: The Boer War: Accusations and Apologias -- Excerpt from An English–South African's View of the Situation -- ''Across the Dark Continent'' (1899) [illustration] -- Excerpt from A History of the Transvaal -- Political Position in Cape Colony -- The Absent-Minded Beggar -- Mr Thomas Atkins -- D. F. Advertiser. Kimberley, friday, february 16, 1900 -- Excerpt from Report of a Visit to the Camps of Women and Children in the Cape and Orange River Colonies -- Excerpt from What I Remember -- Prisoners of War -- Methods of Barbarism -- Suggestions for a New Departure -- Further Charges against British Troops -- Excerpt from Hague Convention (II) with Respect to the Laws and Customs of War on Land, 29 July 1899 -- Treaty of Vereeniging, 31 May 1902 -- The Congo -- Introduction: The Congo: Abominations and Denunciations -- The Congo State -- The Congo Report -- The 1903 Diary -- An Open Letter to Roger Casement -- Native Life under Congo State Rule -- Excerpts from History of the Congo Reform Movement -- An Open Letter to His Serene Majesty Leopold II -- King Leopold's Soliloquy -- Excerpts from The Crime of the Congo -- ''The Guilt of Delay'' (1909) [illustration] -- INDEX