The British Idealists

Collection of essays which contributed to the social and political thought of the nineteenth century.

David Boucher (Edited by)

9780521453363, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 31 July 1997

356 pages
22.3 x 14.4 x 2.9 cm, 0.61 kg

"Boucher's collection...is an excellent entry to a full appreciation of their thought as well as nineteenth-century British poltical thought." Ethics

The British idealists made significant and lasting contributions to the social and political thought of the nineteenth century. They contributed to the evolution debate in insisting that the social organism could not be understood in naturalistic terms, but instead had to be conceived as an evolving spiritual unity. In this respect the British idealists developed a distinctive view of the state constitutive of the individual and they are commonly acknowledged as the forerunners of modern communitarian theory. Furthermore the idealists contributed to the major debates of their day, including evolution, democracy, the role of the state, education and international relations. In his introduction, David Boucher develops the themes illustrated in the writings of the British idealists. This volume also contains biographies of the British idealists which incorporate their principal works.

Acknowledgements
Editor's introduction
Idealist biographies
A note on the texts
Select bibliography of secondary sources
Part I. Evolution and Society: 1. The social organism Henry Jones
2. Man's place in the cosmos: Professor Huxley on nature and man Andrew Seth (Pringle-Pattison)
3. Socialism and natural selection Bernard Bosanquet
4. Ethical democracy: evolution and democracy D. G. Ritchie
Part II. Individualism, Collectivism, and the General Will: 5. Ideal morality F. H. Bradley
6. The reality of the general will Bernard Bosanquet
7. The rights of the minorities D. G. Ritchie
8. The dangers of democracy J. S. Mackenzie
9. Individualism and socialism Edward Caird
10. The coming of socialism Henry Jones
Part III. The State and International Relations: 11. The right of the state over the individual in war T. H. Green
12. What imperialism means J. H. Muirhead
13. German philosophy in relation to the war John Watson
14. The function of the state in promoting the unity of mankind Bernard Bosanquet.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX]