LATE MR JOSEPH TAYLOR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 28 July 1942, Page 2

LATE MR JOSEPH TAYLOR

INTEREST IN THE SCIENCES THEORY OF ABSOLUTISM (Contributed) A well-known resident of Nelson for over forty years, Mr Joseph Taylor, died at Wellington on Friday, at the age of 84 years. Born at Audley, Staffordshire, England, Mr Taylor -was educated at Buckley’s Academy, Winsford, Cheshire, and subsequently at the Theological Institute, Owen’s College, Victoria University, Manchester. He became a student of philosophy, theology and metaphysics, as well as of many branches of physical science, particularly geology, the principles of mining, light and astronomy, studying the latter science also under Sir Norman Lockyer at South Kensington, London, where he won a Queen’s scholarship.

He was appointed lecturer to the Staffordshire County Council upon geology and the principles of mining, and also later lecturer under the South Kensington Institute of Science and Art, Royal College of Science, London.

Coming to New Zealand in 1894 Mr Taylor first settled in Collingwood where, associating himself with the mining development of the district, he was responsible for many mineralogical discoveries, particularly the discovery and development of the Puponga coalfield. Moving eventually to Nelson he wrote several works on the subjects of sunspots and solar physics, seismology and the prediction of earthquakes, aviation and especially upon subjects of philosophical or metaphysical nature, being a great believer in the conscious survival of the human personality after death. Mr Taylor always regarded as the chief work of his life th e fact that in 1883 he was the, founder of Absolutism as a complete, unified, consistent system of philosophy. He is claimed to have exercised considerable influence on English philisophical thought about this period, through his published contributions to such journals as “The Secular Review,” “Watt’s Literary Guide” and “The Agnostic Journal.” His exposition of Absolutism, he considered, changed the outlook of the philosopher Herbert Spencer, who acknowledged the source of hi s illumination. Previous to this the position of Spencer had really been that of a Relativistic Agnostic, affirming that we can know nothing of Absolute Truth and that the reality of things is “forever hid behind the veil of appearances.” But Absolutism, it was contended, showed him that a veil which concealed reality would in itself have to be as real as anything that was ever concealed behind it, in order that it really should conceal it; in other words, that Absolute Truth is the only truth we ever do know, and that we are face to face with Absolute Reality on every hand.

A definition of Absolutism states: “Absolutism teaches that whether we realise it or not, we are always obliged to assume the fact of Absolute Truth as the fundamental premise of all our thinking, that the fact of the Absolute is recognised natively as a primary intuition, being, when once truly recognised, above proof and beyond doubt, and that this light arises directly in virtue of our own participation in the Absolute Divine Essence.”

Mr Taylor leaves a widow, Mrs Annie Taylor, late of Nelson and now of Wellington, four sons, Messrs Spencer Taylor (Auckland), C. E. Taylor (Palmerston North), A. G. E. | Taylor (Wellington), and J. E. Taylor * (Hastings); and two daughters, Mrs