had already been published would have comprised the first book. The second book was to contain another set of epistles, which in contrast to the first book would focus on subjects such as human reason, the practical and impractical aspects of varied arts and sciences, human talent, the use of learning, the science of the world, and wit, together with "a satire against the misapplication" of those same disciplines. The third book would discuss politics and religion, while the fourth book was concerned with "private ethics" or "practical morality." The following passage, taken from the first two paragraphs of the opening verse of the second epistle, is often quoted by those familiar with Pope's work, as it neatly summarizes some of the religious and humanistic tenets of the poem: In the above example, Pope's thesis is that man has learnt about nature and God's creation through science; consequently, science has given man power, but having become intoxicated by this power, man has begun to think that he is "imitating God". In response, Pope declares the species of man to be a "fool", absent of knowledge and plagued by "ignorance" in spite of all the progress achieved through science. Pope argues that humanity should make a study of itself, and not debase the spiritual essence of the world with earthly science, since the two are diametrically opposed to one another: man should "presume not God to scan". Notes External links An Essay on Man at the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA) Full text at Project Gutenberg Essay on Man/Essay on Woman - UK Parliament Living Heritage An introduction to the poem from a Hartwicke College professor: Pope- Essay on Man -complete text Selected Poetry of Alexander Pope, Representative Poetry Online, hosted by University of Toronto Libraries 1734 poems British poems Works by Alexander Pope Modern philosophical literature Ethics literature