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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. ... Read more

Book Description
This analysis of the writings of two major Victorian intellectuals examines the crucial place of gender in the larger Victorian debate about nature, religion, and evolutionary theory. Demonstrating the primacy of Herbert Spencer's influence on George Eliot's thought, Nancy Paxton discloses the continuous dialogue between this profoundly learned novelist and one of the most formidable and influential scientific authorities of her time. Using rarely cited first editions of Spencer's published works, Paxton reveals that Eliot and Spencer initially agreed in supporting several of the goals of early Victorian feminism when they met in 1851. Paxton surveys all of Spencer's writing to show when and why he repudiated his early feminism and demonstrates Eliot's determined resistance to the most conservative tendencies of evolutionary theory in her representation of female sexuality, motherhood, feminist ambition, and desire. In comparing Eliot's and Spencer's evolutionary "reconstruction of gender," the book draws on a wide variety of biographical, literary, and critical texts and on interdisciplinary scholarship about the relation between scientific and literary discourse in the nineteenth century. By thus reassessing Eliot's contribution to feminist thought, it presents a revolutionary reading of her novels which is informed by contemporary feminist criticism and the new historicism. "This is an important book because of the questions it raises, the issues it covers, and the illumination it brings to Eliot and Spencer and to crucial problems in the nineteenth century: Paxton looks at the ways scientific data get turned into arguments about the nature of women in society, about women and education, about women and sexuality. This work shows how truly current Eliot's novels are, no matter what their setting."--Barry Qualls, Rutgers University ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Primer for Evolutionary Psychology
What a provocative title! Paxton's book is not about evolutionary psychology, but the relationship between Spencer and Eliot laid the groundwork for much of what came about in the twentieth century focus on the place of biology in determining relations between man and woman, the individual and society, and the role that evolutionary theory plays in helping people to determine the paramaters. Actually, that is just what I looked for when I picked this book up. Paxton has an excellent grasp on these issues and her knowledge of Eliot and Spencer is remarkable. I could not put this book down because reading Paxton's writings is like sitting in front of her. She commands your attention by her sheer brilliance in controlling the topic.

I was happy not to find too much parroting of current literary trends and her focus on the texts of Spencer and Eliot are genuine. Some may not like her for that reason, but an honest person looking for an unbiased treatment of poor Spencer will find plenty to think about. This is the best book on the relationship between Eliot and Spencer, and the only one to treat it with the care and civility it deserves. ... Read more

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Volume One of Two. Other volumes in this set are ISBN(s):1417970324. ... Read more

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Men Versus the State is a study both of the political philosophy of Herbert Spencer (considered by many to be the greatest philosopher of Victorian Britain) and of the ideas of the Individualists, a group of political thinkers inspired by him to uphold the policy of laissez-faire during the 1880s and 1890s. Despite their important contribution to nineteenth-century political debate, these thinkers have been neglected by historians, who have concentrated on the advocates of an enhanced role for government in economic and social affairs. The Individualists were forceful critics of this tendency to expand the frontiers of the State. This, the first comprehensive study of their ideas, sheds new light on the nature of late Victorian political argument. The book also provides an original perspective on Spencer's political philosophy, which provided Individualism with much of its intellectual justification. It will be of interest to anyone who wishes to set free-market conservatism in a historical context. ... Read more

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This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1892 edition by John Murray, London. ... Read more

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THIS 46 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great: Philosophers, by Elbert Hubbard. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766104028. ... Read more

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Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1908 edition by D. Appleton and Company, New York. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Southern Economic Journal, published by Southern Economic Association on July 1, 1993. The length of the article is 983 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Men versus the State: Herbert Spencer and Late Victorian Individualism. (book reviews)
Author: Abraham Hirsch
Publication: Southern Economic Journal (Refereed)
Date: July 1, 1993
Publisher: Southern Economic Association
Volume: v60Issue: n1Page: p257(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
Originally published in 1894.Author: Spencer, Herbert, 1820-1903 Language: English Keywords:Aphorisms and apothegmsMany of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Obscure Pressare republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. ... Read more