Les Misérables, Book 7: Parenthesis, Chapter 6 summary
Book 7: Parenthesis, Chapter 6 of 365 · 3 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 6, the narrator defends sincere prayer and challenges philosophies that deny God, infinity, or existence itself, presenting affirmation as essential to human life. The argument then turns toward philosophy’s practical duty: to unite knowledge with conscience and support human progress through faith and love.
What happens
- The narrator accepts every sincere form of prayer and compares denial of infinity to blindness toward sunlight.
- He respects powerful atheist thinkers but rejects their philosophy and questions a school that substitutes will for force.
- He argues that denying infinity leads to nihilism, whose doubts undermine discussion and thought.
- He insists that philosophy must improve human life by joining knowledge, conscience, and action.
- He identifies faith and love as necessary forces for progress and names God as its ideal.
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Quick check
Which two forces does the narrator say are necessary for humanity and progress?
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