Women Philosophers in Nineteenth-Century Britain
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:13th Jan '23
Should be back in stock very soon
Many women wrote philosophy in nineteenth-century Britain, and they wrote across the full range of philosophical topics. Yet these important women thinkers have been left out of the philosophical canon and many of them are barely known today. The aim of this book is to put them back on the map. It introduces twelve women philosophers - Mary Shepherd, Harriet Martineau, Ada Lovelace, George Eliot, Frances Power Cobbe, Helena Blavatsky, Julia Wedgwood, Victoria Welby, Arabella Buckley, Annie Besant, Vernon Lee, and Constance Naden. Alison Stone looks at their views on naturalism, philosophy of mind, evolution, morality and religion, and progress in history. She shows how these women interacted and developed their philosophical views in conversation with one another, not only with their male contemporaries. The rich print and periodical culture of the period enabled these women to publish philosophy in forms accessible to a general readership, despite the restrictions women faced, such as having limited or no access to university education. Stone explains how these women became excluded from the history of philosophy because there was a cultural shift at the end of the nineteenth century towards specialised forms of philosophical writing, which depended on academic credentials that were still largely unavailable to women.
This book offers a compelling exploration of its subject matter, presenting thought-provoking insights that linger long after the final page. Readers receive thorough chapter summaries, reflecting the book's focus on providing them with a wealth of information that enriches their understanding of the topic. Stone draws on a wide array of primary and secondary sources, and successfully maintains interest in twelve remarkable women -- and philosophers. * Mariam Zarif, British Association for Victorian Studies Newsletter *
A superb, absorbing, and thought-provoking work offering a major reassessment of nineteenth-century philosophy, and giving voice to a mostly voiceless group of brilliant women of towering intellects who deserve our recognition, historical appreciation, and admiration. * Petros Spanou, Reviews in History *
Stone's fascinating and important new monograph diagnoses and begins to rectify the longstanding exclusion of women who philosophised during this period. * Clare Carlisle, Mind *
A bold and pioneering study, fluently written and admirably clear. This book should quickly, and rightly, become essential reading for all scholars of the period. * Emily Thomas, Philosophical Review *
An extremely interesting and eminently readable book, which introduces the reader to a range of women who may not be already known ... but who ought to be. It is an important contribution to the history of philosophy, and to recovering the work of women who, however famous in their own day, wrote in ink which society made disappear for many, many years. * Helen Mccabe, Victorian Studies *
This is an extremely interesting and eminently readable book, which introduces the reader to a range of women who may not be already known (or known as philosophers), butwho ought to be; the debates in which they were engaging; and the modes in which they engaged. It is an important contribution to the history of philosophy, and to recovering the work of women who, however famous in their own day, wrote in ink which society made disappear for many, many years. * Helen McCabe, Victorian Studies *
ISBN: 9780192874719
Dimensions: 241mm x 560mm x 20mm
Weight: 590g
304 pages