Literary notes about regress (AI summary)
The term "regress" functions in literature as a multifaceted concept, spanning both literal movement and abstract, philosophical reflection. In some works it denotes a physical or metaphorical retreat—illustrated by a character proclaiming his right to both egress and regress [1, 2]—while in philosophical discourse it interrogates the notion of infinite chains or cyclical causation, as when discussions of causality hinge on whether events revert indefinitely to prior states [3, 4, 5]. At times, regress is emblematic of a decline or deterioration, evoking moods of melancholy and a return to less advanced or more primitive conditions [6, 7]. This spectrum of meanings enriches literary exploration by underscoring the tension inherent between advancement and a backward or restorative movement.
- ‘And grants me full liberty of egress and regress,’ exclaimed Sisyphus.
— from The Infernal Marriage by Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield - My hand, bully; thou shalt have egress and regress; said I well?
— from The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare - We are not warranted in saying that because we cannot think out an endless regress of infinite antecedents, therefore we must assume a first cause.
— from British Quarterly Review, American Edition, Vol. LIV July and October, 1871 by Various - But the regress in it is never completed, and can only be called potentially infinite.
— from The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant - The actual regress in the series is the only means of approaching this maximum.
— from The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant - Age is for retreat, for regress toward a former day; it would say with the ancient poet, "Return unto thy rest, O my soul."
— from The Quiver 12/1899 by Anonymous - Progress was the watchword; but it was in reality regress .
— from Expositor's Bible: The Epistles of St. John by William Alexander
