Walter Charleton

About

A seventeenth-century English philosopher and author, he is known for works such as "The Darkness of Atheism Dispelled by the Light of Nature" (1652) and "Epicurus's Morals" (1656). His writings typically focus on history, archaeology, and theology.

Before Fame

He began studying at Magdalen Hall, Oxford when he was just sixteen years old; by the time he was twenty-two, he had earned his medical degree. He published his first work, Deliramenta Catarrhi, in 1650.

Trivia

In his 1663 work, Chorea Gigantum, he attempted to provide evidence that Stonehenge had been constructed by the Danes.

Family Life

He was born in Somerset, England and was educated during his younger years by his minister father. He moved to London in 1650.

Associated With

He was an influential English natural philosopher, as was Joseph Priestley.