John Lowell, Jr.
A wealthy Boston merchant and philanthropist who established the Lowell Institute for free public lectures.
Core Belief
"Education and moral instruction are essential for the prosperity of a nation, and the connection between God's revelations and human knowledge is paramount."
Worldview
Believed in the importance of contributing to the betterment of society and promoting moral and intellectual growth, with a deep concern for the future of New England and its inhabitants.
Personality
Studious, modest, conscientious, and deeply concerned with the moral and intellectual improvement of his fellow citizens. He was known for his warm affections and his desire for knowledge.
In Their Own Words
"As the most certain and the most important part of true philosophy appears to me to be that which shows the connection between God's revelations and the knowledge of good and evil implanted by him in our nature, I wish a course of lectures to be given on natural religion, showing its conformity to that of our Saviour."
"For the more perfect demonstration of the truth of those moral and religious precepts, by which alone, as I believe, men can be secure of happiness in this world and that to come, I wish a course of lectures to be delivered on the historical and internal evidences in favor of Christianity."
"As the prosperity of my native land, New England, which is sterile and unproductive, must depend hereafter, as it has heretofore depended, first on the moral qualities, and second on the intelligence and information of its inhabitants, I am desirous of trying to contribute towards this second object also."
Discussions with John Lowell, Jr.
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