Postscript

Abstract

This chapter deals with the last meeting of the Society and why the Society came to an end. The goals of the Society were being met in other ways and the divisions between different groups, such as the scientific naturalists and the conservative Christians, were too great to bridge. There is also a discussion of the legacy of the Metaphysical Society through the founding of other intellectual associations, in the publications of its members, and in the creation of a more open public space for discussion of controversial ideas. The papers of the Society were preserved by librarians despite many obstacles. This chapter concludes with a brief discussion of how the papers still speak to us today in a post-truth age witnessing a revival of interest in metaphysics.