Joseph Butler
Joseph Butler, detail from an engraving by T.A. Dean, 1848, after a portrait by John Vanderbank.
Joseph Butler
British bishop and philosopher
Joseph Butler (born May 18, 1692, Wantage, Berkshire, England—died June 16, 1752, Bath, Somerset) was an Anglican bishop, moral philosopher, preacher to the royal court, and influential author who defended revealed religion against the rationalists of his time. Joseph Butler was born into a Presbyterian family and attended a Nonconformist school. However, he converted to the Church of England and became intent on an ecclesiastical career. Ordained in 1718, Butler became preacher at the Rolls Chapel...