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Parker H. Sercombe discusses the question of “maimed minds” as raised by Cardinal James Gibbons in his comments on Thomas A. Edison’s focus on mechanical pursuits and the resulting atrophy of religious sense. Sercombe argues that qualities of the mind, like those of the body, develop and diminish through use and disuse. Therefore, “normal minds” are the product of brains trained to exercise “in the realities of life” from childhood. Such minds become maimed when wide theological divergence, fairy stories, and fiction confuse the growing mind and interfere with normal thought, thereby disabling judgment. Sercombe, therefore, asks if normal minds can accept theological dogma since the theological mind is “invariably maimed.”
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1911-02-21
Creator(s)
Sercombe, Parker H. (Parker Holmes), 1860-1944
Publication Date
2023-08-03
Language
English
Period
Progressive Party Candidate (1911-1912)
Page Count
2
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Mr. Edison’s maimed mind. [February 21, 1911?]. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o304085. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Sercombe, Parker H. (Parker Holmes), 1860-1944. Mr. Edison’s maimed mind. [21 Feb. 1911?]. Multi-image. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. October 29, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o304085.
APA:
Sercombe, Parker H. (Parker Holmes), 1860-1944.: , [1911, February 21?]. Mr. Edison’s maimed mind. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o304085.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. October 29, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
