I believe that Bishop Joseph Butler is worth learning about because he represents a side of the discussion that we did not directly look at in this class. In a time where many new thoughts were being introduced and many world views were being created, traditional beliefs were not just abandoned. Traditional western ideas about Christianity, God, and how to understand the world continued to be held by a majority of people and in response to the criticism and challenges against these ideas, philosophers subscribing to orthodoxy took to defending it. They pointed out the weaknesses of the new arguments and created new ways of understanding what they believed were old truths.
Joseph Butler was one of these characters, and his arguments were used by many to defend these traditional notions of the world from those who attacked them. Considering the influence he had in his defense of these ideas, he was an important figure. The mechanics of this Analogy of Religion are interesting and create a world view many felt safe to stand on.
Joseph Butler’s work adds to our understanding of the Modern Period and the ideas being entertained by many of its average citizens and some of its greatest minds. He takes many accepted ideas and creates a thought provoking and interesting philosophy, which can help contrast and better understand some other philosophers within the readings. As such Butler would be a value addition to the current list of philosophers.