Frances Power Cobbe: Essential Writings of a Nineteenth-Century Feminist Philosopher

Frances Power Cobbe was a nineteenth-century philosopher known for her ethical theory, feminism, animal welfare, and criticism of Darwinism and atheism. This collection of her work introduces her thought and demonstrates how it developed over time, beginning with her Essay on Intuitive Morals. She campaigned for women's rights and abolition of vivisection, and her political experiences led her to revise her ethical theory. She emphasized the moral role of emotions and theorized a gradual historical progression in sympathy.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 04 July 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

This comprehensive volume presents a collection of essential writings by the unjustly neglected nineteenth-century philosopher Frances Power Cobbe (1822-1904). Renowned as a prominent ethicist, feminist, advocate for animal welfare, and critic of Darwinism and atheism, Cobbe enjoyed widespread recognition and esteem during the Victorian era. This collection offers a gateway for contemporary readers to explore Cobbe's thought, tracing its evolution from her early essay on intuitive morals in 1855, which established her duty-based moral theory, to her later works in the 1860s and early 1870s, where she delved into topics such as human responsibilities towards animals, feminism, dualism in philosophy of mind, and opposition to evolutionary ethics. Cobbe's philosophical ideas found practical expression through her tireless campaigns for women's rights and the regulation and eventual abolition of vivisection. Her political experiences further shaped her ethical framework, leading her to emphasize the moral role of emotions, particularly sympathy, and to propose a gradual historical progression in this regard. As the 1880s unfolded, Cobbe took on secularism, agnosticism, and atheism, arguing that religion is not only essential for morality but also for meaningful life and culture. By shedding light on Cobbe's philosophical perspective and its applications, this volume showcases the breadth, systematicity, and philosophical depth of her work, making her core ethical theory and its central developments accessible for teaching and scholarship.

Weight: 388g
Dimension: 235 x 155 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197628232