Etimologia e História de Agatha

1816, do grego agathos "bom" (veja Agatha) + -ist.

Doctor Kearney, who formerly, with so much reputation, delivered lectures in this place on the history of Rome, observed to me once, that he was not an optimist, but an "agathist"; that he believed that every thing tended to good, but did not think himself competent to determine what was absolutely the best. The distinction is important, and seems to be fatal to the system of Optimism. [George Miller, "Lectures on the Philosophy of Modern History," Dublin, 1816]

O doutor Kearney, que antes, com tanta reputação, ministrava palestras neste local sobre a história de Roma, comentou uma vez comigo que não era um otimista, mas sim um "agathist"; que acreditava que tudo tendia para o bem, mas não se via capaz de determinar o que era absolutamente o melhor. A distinção é importante e parece ser fatal para o sistema do Otimismo. [George Miller, "Lectures on the Philosophy of Modern History," Dublin, 1816]