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Necessity Of Atheism

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In a general sense, Percy Bysshe Shelley was known for is radical ideas and eccentric personality which is an extraordinary result coming from such a traditional, aristocratic family. He was sent to be educated at Oxford and Eton to be qualified to inherit the title of baron. Because of his avantgarde attitudes, Shelley was bullied often during his schooling, and this caused him to dedicate his life to fight against inhumanity shown to others. In 1810, Percy Shelley met Thomas Hogg, and they collaborated on publishing a pamphlet titled The Necessity of Atheism. This was advocating the belief that God’s existence was not provable using acceptable measures, and was sent off to Bishops and to the heads of colleges at Oxford. After this bold statement, Shelley would not retract any statements he made in the publication. This resulted in his expulsion from the school.
After this incident, Percy Shelley moved to London, England. He met his soon-to-be wife Harriet Westbrook, and eloped with her, and moved to Edinburgh all in the same year. This marriage was a drastic change in Shelley’s actions because he voiced earlier in his life that marriage was only an enslavement of women. When this occurred, she was aged 16, he 18 years of age. The new couple and her …show more content…

He developed feelings for Mary Wollstonecraft, and eloped with her. The couple fled to France, and actually invited Harriet to come along to live with them as sister. After this French escapade, Shelley returned to London only to find that society viewed him as a pricipaless womanizer. Two years later, in 1816, Harriet became pregnant with an unknown lover’s child. She drowned herself, and Percy Shelley gained custody of their two children. That December, Mary and Shelley were officially married. They moved to Italy in the spring of

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