British Idealism

by

Thom Brooks

• LAST REVIEWED: 01 September 2022
• LAST MODIFIED: 21 February 2023
• DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195396577-0015

Introduction

British idealism flourished in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was a movement with a lasting influence on the social and political thought of its time in particular. British idealists helped popularize the work of Immanuel Kant and G. W. F. Hegel in the anglophone world, but they also sought to use insights from the philosophies of Kant and Hegel to help create a new idealism to address the many pressing issues of the Victorian period in Britain and its aftermath. These contributions related to theories of freedom, the common good, political obligation, the state, and punishment. The British idealists also made important contributions in areas other than Hegelian scholarship and ethics, including logic, metaphysics, and the philosophy of religion. The movement declined by the start of World War I. This entry will highlight the most important work by British idealists themselves and by their best interpreters. Thus this entry will be grouped by individuals rather than by theme.

General Overviews

There are several highly useful general overviews on British idealism. A classic overview that also includes the wider context within which British idealism arose is Barker 1928. Quinton 1971 offers the best introduction to British idealism. Den Otter 1996 provides a highly useful analysis of British idealism and the wider philosophical context as well. An excellent general overview focusing on the work of several British idealists in the area of political theory is Boucher and Vincent 2000. Mander 2011 is a comprehensive and thorough history of British idealism. Most of the attention on British idealism has focused on ethics and political thought. Nicholson 1990 is the leading monograph on British idealism and political philosophy, with several seminal essays. Mander 2016 is an excellent overview of British idealist ethics. Boucher and Vincent 2000 is the leading collection on British idealism and political thought, which is wide-ranging. Sweet 2009 is perhaps the most comprehensive analysis of British idealism and ethics, with essays on all the most important figures in British idealism as well as more minor members. Brooks 2021 defends a theory of punishment grounded in the general approach of British idealists. Both of these works offer wide-ranging discussions of several British idealists on law and punishment. Simhony and Weinstein 2001 offers an excellent general overview of British idealism and new liberalism. Stove 1991 presents an important critique of British idealism. Connelly and Panagakou 2009 delivers a useful collection of essays covering a wide range of British idealists and their philosophical contributions.

• Barker, Ernest. Political Thought in England, 1848–1914. 2d ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1928.

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  A classic overview of political thought in England but also of British idealism as a movement in political thought. It is especially useful in providing the wider context within which British idealism arose.

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• Boucher, David, and Andrew Vincent. British Idealism and Political Theory. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2000.

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  A leading collection of essays on British idealism and political thought that is excellent and comprehensive. All major figures are represented, and it is highly useful for both those coming to the subject for the first time and others more familiar with British idealism.

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• Brooks, Thom. Punishment: A Critical Introduction. London: Routledge, 2021.

  DOI: 10.4324/9781315527772Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  This monograph offers a defense of a theory of punishment grounded in the general approach of several leading British idealists. This approach is the “unified theory of punishment,” bringing together elements of retribution, deterrence, and rehabilitation within a single, unified, and coherent theory of punishment.

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• Connelly, James, and Stamatoula Panagakou. Anglo-American Idealism: Thinkers and Ideas. New York: Peter Lang, 2009.

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  A useful collection of essays covering a wide range of British idealists and their philosophical contributions.

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• den Otter, Sandra M. British Idealism and Social Explanation: A Study in Late Victorian Thought. Oxford: Clarendon, 1996.

  DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198206002.001.0001Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  A highly useful general overview of British idealism aimed at more advanced readers, with a rich analysis of British idealism and its wider context.

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• Mander, W. J. British Idealism: A History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.

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  A comprehensive and thorough history of British idealism.

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• Mander, W. J. Idealist Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.

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  An excellent overview of British idealists on ethics.

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• Nicholson, Peter P. The Political Philosophy of the British Idealists: Selected Studies. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

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  The leading monograph on British idealism and political philosophy, with seminal essays on several figures, including F. H. Bradley, Bernard Bosanquet, and T. H. Green.

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• Quinton, Anthony. “Absolute Idealism.” Proceedings of the British Academy 57 (1971): 303–329.

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  The best introductory article on British idealism aimed at readers coming to the subject for the first time. Reprinted in A. Kenny, ed., Rationalism, Empiricism, Idealism (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986), pp. 124–150.

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• Simhony, Avital, and D. Weinstein, eds. The New Liberalism: Reconciling Liberty and Community. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

  DOI: 10.1017/CBO9780511558337Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  An excellent overview of British idealism and new liberalism by several leading scholars in the field on all major figures, with a focus on social and political philosophy. Idealists discussed include F. H. Bradley, Bernard Bosanquet, and T. H. Green.

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• Stove, David. “Idealism: A Victorian Horror-Story.” In The Plato Cult and Other Philosophical Follies. By David Stove, 83–177. Oxford: Blackwell, 1991.

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  Presents an important criticism of British idealism and the (philosophical) dangers that it does not address satisfactorily. A widely debated and controversial article.

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• Sweet, William, ed. The Moral, Social, and Political Philosophy of the British Idealists. Exeter, UK: Academic, 2009.

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  Offers perhaps the single most comprehensive analysis of British idealism and British idealists available, with contributions on all major figures and a considerable number of more minor figures. It is recommended that anyone interested in learning about major and minor figures alike in British idealism consider this text.

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Anthologies

There are a few anthologies of British idealist philosophy. The leading anthology is Boucher 1997. This work focuses on the political and social thought of British idealists. It focuses on the leading figures in British idealism, such as Bernard Bosanquet, F. H. Bradley, and T. H. Green, and the most widely used texts. A more recent anthology of previously unpublished essays by several idealists is Tyler 2008. Boucher 2004 contains excellent essays by British idealists who were writing in Scotland that are also very useful.

• Boucher, David, ed. The British Idealists. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1997.

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  The leading and most widely available anthology on British idealists, with a focus on their political and social thought and covering the leading figures, such as Bernard Bosanquet, F. H. Bradley, and T. H. Green. A useful introductory essay provides excellent background that will be most helpful to readers coming to the study of British idealism for the first time.

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• Boucher, David, ed. The Scottish Idealists: Selected Philosophical Writings. Exeter, UK: Academic, 2004.

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  Contains excellent essays by British idealists who were writing in Scotland.

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• Tyler, Colin, ed. Unpublished Manuscripts in British Idealism: Political Philosophy, Theology, and Social Thought. 2 vols. Exeter, UK: Academic, 2008.

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  A highly useful collection of previously unpublished essays by several idealists. This work will be of greater interest to more specialist readers.

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Bernard Bosanquet

Bernard Bosanquet was born in Northumberland in 1848 and died in 1923. He was chair of moral philosophy at the University of St. Andrews and was considered one of the three most important of the British idealists, along with F. H. Bradley and T. H. Green. Much of Bosanquet’s work was in the area of ethics and political philosophy. Perhaps his leading work in ethics, with several important reflections on topics, such as moral knowledge and punishment, is Bosanquet 1918. Bosanquet 1899 is probably his most important and influential work, offering a new conception of the individual and the state. Bosanquet 1913 focuses on religion and ethics. Gaus 1994 provides a helpful discussion of Bosanquet’s political philosophy that will be especially useful to readers coming to Bosanquet’s work for the first time. Perhaps the most comprehensive treatment of Bosanquet’s social and political thought is Sweet 2007. Sweet 1997 offers an insightful analysis of Bosanquet on rights. An excellent essay on Bosanquet’s theory of punishment is Tyler 2000. Bosanquet also offered contributions to logic and metaphysics. Perhaps the best analysis of this work is Mander 2000, with special reference to Bosanquet’s conception of the concrete universal. Panagakou 2000 is a special issue on Bosanquet’s philosophy bringing together excellent scholarly essays covering a range of issues in his work that will be of particular interest to more advanced readers.

• Bosanquet, Bernard. The Philosophical Theory of the State. London: Macmillan, 1899.

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  Perhaps Bosanquet’s most important and influential work in social and political philosophy, offering a new conception of the individual and the state. There are novel arguments concerning political authority and obligation, the role of the state, citizenship, and a theory of punishment, among others.

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• Bosanquet, Bernard. The Value and Destiny of the Individual: The Gifford Lectures for 1912. London: Macmillan, 1913.

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  Contains Bosanquet’s Gifford Lectures, originally delivered at the University of Edinburgh. These focus on the philosophy of religion and offer a revealing account of religious consciousness and ethics. It is also a difficult work that may be of greater interest to more advanced readers.

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• Bosanquet, Bernard. Some Suggestions in Ethics. London: Macmillan, 1918.

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  Bosanquet’s leading work in ethics, with several important reflections on topics such as moral knowledge and punishment. This text is especially useful for students coming to the study of British idealism or Bosanquet’s work for the first time; an excellent introduction to key themes in British idealist philosophy.

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• Gaus, Gerald F. “Green, Bosanquet, and the Philosophy of Coherence.” In The Nineteenth Century. Edited by C. L. Ten, 408–436. Routledge History of Philosophy 7. London: Routledge, 1994.

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  Provides a very helpful discussion of Bosanquet’s political philosophy. This text will be of particular interest to those coming to the study of Bosanquet’s work for the first time.

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  • Medline

• Mander, W. J. “Bosanquet and the Concrete Universal.” Modern Schoolman 77 (2000): 293–308.

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  Excellent analysis of Bosanquet on metaphysics and his notion of “the concrete universal” (a highly important idea in his work as well as that of G. W. F. Hegel and other idealists) as well as its usefulness in considering conceptions central to modern philosophical logic.

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• Panagakou, Stamatoula, ed. Special Issue: Perspectives on the Philosophy of F. H. Bradley and Bernard Bosanquet. Bradley Studies 6.1 (Spring 2000).

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  This issue of Bradley Studies is a special issue on the philosophy of Bernard Bosanquet. The essays are geared more toward those already having some familiarity with Bosanquet’s works and may be a bit difficult for introductory readers. However, the essays included offer excellent scholarly reflections across a range of issues in Bosanquet’s work.

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• Sweet, William. Idealism and Rights: The Social Ontology of Human Rights in the Political Thought of Bernard Bosanquet. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1997.

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  Offers an insightful and thorough analysis of Bosanquet on rights and political philosophy by one of the leading Bosanquet scholars. This book was published in paperback in 2005.

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• Sweet, William, ed. Bernard Bosanquet and the Legacy of British Idealism. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007.

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  The most comprehensive treatment of Bosanquet’s social and political thought available. This work will be of great benefit to both more advanced readers and those coming to Bosanquet’s work for the first time. A wide range of topics is covered.

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• Tyler, Colin. “‘This Dangerous Drug of Violence’: Making Sense of Bernard Bosanquet’s Theory of Punishment.” Collingwood and British Idealism Studies 7 (2000): 116–140.

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  An excellent analysis of Bosanquet’s original theory of punishment that will be of interest to anyone interested in the topic of punishment as well as more advanced readers of Bosanquet looking for an insightful analysis of an underappreciated area of Bosanquet’s thought.

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F. H. Bradley

Francis Herbert Bradley was born in London in 1846 and died in 1924. He was a life fellow of Merton College, Oxford, and he was considered one of the most important of the British idealists along with Bernard Bosanquet and T. H. Green. Bradley 1927 offers his most influential contribution to ethics and political philosophy, which includes famous essays on responsibility and “My Station and Its Duties.” The leading and most comprehensive collection on Bradley’s philosophy is Manser and Stock 1984. The best introductory text is Wollheim 1969. Sprigge 1995 offers a useful discussion of Bradley on religion. Brooks 2014 defends its relevance for contemporary discussions about punishment. Much of Bradley’s work moves beyond ethics and political philosophy. His most important work in these other areas includes Bradley 1893 and Bradley 1922; these works offer lasting contributions to our understanding of epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophical logic. The leading text on Bradley’s metaphysics is Mander 1994. Candlish 2007 provides an excellent analysis of Bradley’s work and famous criticisms of it by Bertrand Russell. Allard 2005 offers a scholarly and well-presented analysis of Bradley on logic and metaphysics.

• Allard, James W. The Logical Foundations of Bradley’s Metaphysics: Judgment, Inference, and Truth. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2005.

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  Offers a scholarly and well-presented analysis of Bradley on logic and metaphysics. This text is particularly useful for those already having some familiarity with Bradley’s work.

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• Bradley, F. H. Appearance and Reality: A Metaphysical Essay. London: Oxford University Press, 1893.

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  A highly influential work offering original contributions in epistemology and metaphysics and perhaps Bradley’s best-known work. A comprehensive work that remains a classic in its field.

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• Bradley, F. H. The Principles of Logic. 2d ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1922.

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  A highly influential work on philosophical logic that is still discussed in the early twenty-first century, although it is not as influential as it once was.

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• Bradley, F. H. Ethical Studies. 2d ed. Oxford: Clarendon, 1927.

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  Bradley’s most influential contribution to ethics and political philosophy. It contains famous essays on responsibility and “My Station and Its Duties.” Often held to be one of the best texts in Hegelian ethics of its time.

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• Brooks, Thom. “On F. H. Bradley’s ‘Some Remarks on Punishment.’” Ethics 125.1 (2014): 223–225.

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  Argues that Bradley defends a novel perspective on punishment (that it has several purposes, not just one) with considerable contemporary significance.

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• Candlish, Stewart. The Russell/Bradley Dispute and Its Significance for Twentieth-Century Philosophy. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.

  DOI: 10.1057/9780230800618Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Provides an excellent analysis of Bradley’s work and famous criticisms of it made by Bertrand Russell. A more advanced work of greater interest to those already with some familiarity with Bradley’s work.

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• Mander, W. J. An Introduction to Bradley’s Metaphysics. Oxford: Clarendon, 1994.

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  The leading work on Bradley’s metaphysics and the best introduction to it. This text will be of great use and interest to anyone approaching this subject for the first time.

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• Manser, Anthony R., and Guy Stock, eds. The Philosophy of F. H. Bradley. Oxford: Clarendon, 1984.

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  The leading and most comprehensive collection on Bradley’s philosophy. It is a scholarly work of particular interest to more advanced readers.

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• Sprigge, Timothy L. S. “Bradley and Christianity.” Bradley Studies 1 (1995): 69–85.

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  Provides a useful discussion of Bradley and his insightful perspective on religion.

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• Wollheim, Richard. F. H. Bradley. 2d. ed. Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin, 1969.

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  Offers a comprehensive introduction to Bradley on ethics, metaphysics, and religion.

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Edward Caird

Edward Caird was born in Greenock, Scotland, in 1835 and died in 1908. He was chair of moral philosophy at the University of Glasgow and later followed Benjamin Jowett as master of Balliol College, Oxford. Caird’s work was largely in ethics and political philosophy. Perhaps his most well-known contribution is his analysis of G. W. F. Hegel’s philosophy, found in Caird 1883. Caird 1893 is an important work on the philosophy of religion, with a rich idealist metaphysics. Caird 1892 is a major contribution in ethics, literature, and other topics published in two volumes. The best survey on Caird’s philosophy is Tyler 2002. This provides an excellent sketch of Caird’s work and its elements of Kantianism and Hegelianism. MacEwen 2009 offers a very useful analysis of Caird’s contributions in moral and social philosophy. Burbidge 1994 presents a useful discussion of the influence of Scottish philosophy on Canadian scholarship on Hegelian thought, with special attention on Caird.

• Burbidge, John. “Hegel in Canada.” Owl of Minerva 25 (1994): 215–219.

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  Useful discussion of the influence of Scottish philosophy on Canadian scholarship on Hegelian thought, with special attention to Caird.

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• Caird, Edward. Hegel. Edinburgh: William Blackwood, 1883.

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  Perhaps Caird’s best-known work. This text offers an excellent and insightful analysis of G. W. F. Hegel’s philosophy.

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• Caird, Edward. Essays on Literature and Philosophy. 2 vols. Glasgow: James MacLehose, 1892.

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  A major contribution in ethics, literature, and other topics published in two volumes. This landmark work will be of particular interest to those already having some familiarity with Caird’s work and late-19th-century debates.

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• Caird, Edward. The Evolution of Religion: The Gifford Lectures Delivered before the University of St. Andrews in Session 1890–91 and 1891–92. Glasgow: James MacLehose, 1893.

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  An important work in the philosophy of religion with a rich idealist metaphysics. Offers a unique and insightful analysis, although perhaps a difficult text for more introductory readers.

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• MacEwen, Philip. “The Moral and Social Philosophy of Edward Caird.” In The Moral, Social, and Political Philosophy of the British Idealists. Edited by William Sweet, 51–64. Exeter, UK: Academic, 2009.

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  Offers a very useful analysis of Caird’s contributions in moral and social philosophy. This is especially well suited to those coming to Caird’s work for the first time.

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• Tyler, Colin. “Edward Caird (1835–1908).” In British Philosophers, 1800–2000. Edited by Philip B. Dematteis, Peter S. Fosl, and Leemon B. McHenry, 61–69. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2002.

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  An excellent sketch of Caird with a focus on the Kantian and Hegelian elements in his work. The best introductory survey on Caird available.

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T. H. Green

Thomas Hill Green was born in Birkin, England, in 1836 and died in 1882. He was the White’s Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford and was considered one of the most important of the British idealists along with F. H. Bradley and Bernard Bosanquet. Green 1986 is his most influential and important work. It offers original contributions to a consideration of political obligation and the relationship between the individual and the state. Green 2003 offers his most important work in ethics, which had a great influence on later idealist writers. Greengarten 1981 offers the classic contributions to the study of Green’s moral and political philosophy, with an excellent general overview of the context within which Green worked. The best introductory text to Green’s moral philosophy is Brink 2003. Dimova-Cookson and Mander 2006 is the most comprehensive collection on Green’s ethics, metaphysics, and political thought. Tyler 1997 offers a novel “systematic” interpretation of Green’s political thought. Simhony 1993 is an excellent analysis of Green’s conception of the common good. Brooks 2004 offers a useful analysis of Green’s “unified” theory of punishment. Anderson 1991 discusses the feminism of Green.

• Anderson, O. “The Feminism of T. H. Green: A Late-Victorian Success Story?” History of Political Thought 12 (1991): 671–693.

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  An excellent scholarly essay exploring the feminism in Green’s moral and political philosophy.

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• Brink, David O. Perfectionism and the Common Good: Themes in the Philosophy of T. H. Green. Oxford: Clarendon, 2003.

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  Offers an excellent and brief introduction to the moral philosophy of Green, a leading British idealist.

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• Brooks, Thom. “T. H. Green’s Theory of Punishment.” History of Political Thought 24.4 (2004): 685–701.

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  Offers a useful analysis of Green’s unique “unified” theory of punishment, whereby he sought to bring together retributivist, deterrent, and rehabilitative elements into a single coherent theory of punishment.

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• Dimova-Cookson, M., and W. J. Mander, eds. T. H. Green: Ethics, Metaphysics, and Political Philosophy. Oxford: Clarendon, 2006.

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  The most comprehensive collection on Green’s ethics, metaphysics, and political thought. A scholarly text aimed primarily at more advanced readers.

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• Green, T. H. Lectures on the Principles of Political Obligation and Other Writings. Edited by Paul Harris and John Morrow. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1986.

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  Green’s most influential and important work, offering original contributions to a consideration of political obligation and the relationship between the individual and the state.

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• Green, T. H. Prolegomena to Ethics. Edited by David O. Brink. Oxford: Clarendon, 2003.

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  Green’s most important work in ethics, which had great influence on later idealist writers. Covers a wide range of topics. Will be of particular interest to some readers for its insightful critique of then-contemporary ethical theories, although not without importance and relevance for those interested in early-21st-century ethical debates. Contains a useful introduction by David Brink of particular assistance to those coming to Green’s ethical thought for the first time.

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• Greengarten, I. M. Thomas Hill Green and the Development of Liberal-Democratic Thought. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1981.

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  Offers a classic contribution to the study of Green’s moral and political philosophy, with an excellent general overview of the context within which Green worked.

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• Simhony, A. “T. H. Green: The Common Good Society.” History of Political Thought 14.2 (1993): 225–247.

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  An excellent analysis of Green’s conception of the common good, a centrally important idea in his social and political thought.

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• Tyler, Colin. Thomas Hill Green (1836–1882) and the Philosophical Foundations of Politics: An Internal Critique. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen, 1997.

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  Offers a novel “systematic” interpretation of Green’s political thought that makes excellent use of published and previously unpublished work.

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Henry Jones

Henry Jones was born in Llangernyw, Wales, in 1852 and died in 1922. He was professor at the University of St. Andrews and later at the University of Glasgow. He was knighted in 1912. Jones 1909 is perhaps his most influential work, with its focus on applying philosophical insights to address contemporary social issues. Boucher and Vincent 1993 is the most comprehensive and scholarly study on Jones’s philosophy. Boucher 1990 and Boucher 2009 offer excellent general overviews of Jones’s social and political thought. Gibbins 1992 presents a helpful analysis of idealism more generally on questions of imperialism and nationalism, with a focus on Jones. Vincent 1993 offers the best study of Jones and his contributions to the philosophy of religion.

• Boucher, David. “Practical Hegelianism: Henry Jones’s Lecture Tour of Australia.” Journal of the History of Ideas 51.3 (1990): 423–452.

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  Offers an insightful examination of Jones’s famous lecture tour of Australia and the social and political philosophy Jones was developing at that time. Although it is a scholarly examination, this will also be of great interest to those interested in the wider context within which Jones was working.

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• Boucher, David. “Henry Jones: Idealism as a Practical Creed.” In The Moral, Social, and Political Philosophy of the British Idealists. Edited by William Sweet, 137–151. Exeter, UK: Academic, 2009.

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  Offers an excellent general overview of Jones’s social and political thought. Highly useful to those coming to the study of Jones for the first time.

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• Boucher, David, and Andrew Vincent. A Radical Hegelian: The Political and Social Philosophy of Henry Jones. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1993.

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  The most comprehensive and scholarly study on Jones’s philosophy available—a true tour de force. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in Jones’s work, whether an advanced reader or someone coming to the subject for the first time. The leading text on the subject.

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• Gibbins, John R. “Liberalism, Nationalism, and the English Idealists.” History of European Ideas 15.4–6 (1992): 491–497.

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  A very helpful analysis of idealists on questions of imperialism and nationalism, with a focus on Henry Jones.

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• Jones, Henry. Idealism as a Practical Creed: Being the Lectures on Philosophy and Modern Life Delivered before the University of Sydney. Glasgow: James MacLehose, 1909.

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  Originally lectures delivered at the University of Sydney, this was perhaps his most influential work with its focus on applying philosophical insights to address contemporary social issues.

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• Vincent, Andrew. “Divine Immanence and Transcendence: Henry Jones and the Philosophy of Religion.” Idealistic Studies 23.2–3 (1993): 161–177.

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  Offers the best study of Jones and his contributions to the philosophy of religion.

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J. M. E. McTaggart

John McTaggart Ellis McTaggart was born in London in 1866 and died in 1925. He was born John McTaggart Ellis but later took the surname McTaggart as a condition of obtaining an inheritance. He lectured at Trinity College, Cambridge. McTaggart is perhaps best known for his argument for the unreality of time. This argument can be found in McTaggart 1993. Dyke 2002 offers a sympathetic analysis of this argument, while Farmer 1996 is more critical. McTaggart was an accomplished scholar of G. W. F. Hegel’s philosophical writings, and his interpretations include McTaggart 1896 on Hegel’s dialectic. McTaggart also defended a theory of punishment indebted to Hegel; the best discussion and defense of this theory is in Bennett 1998. McTaggart was also interested in the philosophy of religion, not unlike many other British idealists. His chief work in this area is McTaggart 1906. The best analysis of his defense of philosophical idealism is Mander 1997.

• Bennett, Christopher. “McTaggart on the Right to Be Punished.” Bulletin of the Hegel Society of Great Britain 37–38 (1998): 85–96.

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  A sympathetic reading of McTaggart’s interpretation of G. W. F. Hegel’s theory of punishment that holds that Hegel offers a theory of punishment aimed at inducing repentance in the offender. The best analysis available of one of McTaggart’s best-known essays.

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• Dyke, Heather. “McTaggart and the Truth about Time.” Philosophy 50.supp (2002): 137–152.

  DOI: 10.1017/CBO9780511550263.008Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  A useful and sympathetic account of McTaggart’s argument for the unreality of time.

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• Farmer, David J. “Bradley and McTaggart on Time.” Bradley Studies 2 (1996): 104–116.

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  An excellent analysis of the nature of time that focuses on a critique of McTaggart’s famous argument for the unreality of time.

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• Mander, W. J. “McTaggart’s Argument for Idealism.” Journal of Speculative Philosophy, n.s., 11 (1997): 53–72.

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  Argues that there is more to McTaggart’s philosophy than his famous analysis of time, focusing on his arguments in favor of philosophical idealism. While critical, the best scholarly treatment of an important argument at the core of McTaggart’s work.

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• McTaggart, John McTaggart Ellis. Studies in the Hegelian Dialectic. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1896.

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  An important interpretation on G. W. F. Hegel’s philosophy that was influential in its time and remains so in the early twenty-first century. Will be of particular interest to those already having some familiarity with Hegelian philosophy.

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• McTaggart, John McTaggart Ellis. Some Dogmas of Religion. London: Edward Arnold, 1906.

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  His best-known work in the philosophy of religion. Offers a revealing and insightful critique of then-contemporary debates in the field.

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• McTaggart, John McTaggart Ellis. “The Unreality of Time.” In The Philosophy of Time. Edited by Robin Le Poidevin and Murray MacBeath, 23–34. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993.

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  Perhaps his most famous essay defending his controversial argument in favor of the unreality of time.

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D. G. Ritchie

David George Ritchie was born in Jedburgh, Scotland, in 1853 and died in 1903. He held a chair at the University of St. Andrews. Ritchie 1895 offers an original contribution to the study of natural and human rights. Boucher 2001 presents an excellent analysis of Ritchie’s contributions with reference to other leading British idealists. Ritchie 1902 is a highly useful collection of essays on ethics and political philosophy. Ritchie 1891 is his most influential and important work, critically exploring leading contributions to political philosophy of his time while offering a developmental understanding of rights as a viable and attractive alternative. Morrow 1984 offers an excellent analysis of British idealists on the state, democracy, and property, with a focus on Ritchie’s contributions. Neill 2003 provides a thorough general overview of Ritchie’s social and political philosophy. Freeden 1976 traces the evolutionary developmental aspects of Ritchie’s liberal philosophy. Weinstein 2002 offers the best discussion of Ritchie’s analysis of utilitarianism.

• Boucher, David. “British Idealism and the Human Rights Culture.” History of European Ideas 27.1 (2001): 61–78.

  DOI: 10.1016/S0191-6599(01)00021-3Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Excellent analysis of British idealist thinking on a developmental understanding of natural rights, with a focus on Bernard Bosanquet, T. H. Green, Henry Jones, and Ritchie.

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• Freeden, Michael. “Biological and Evolutionary Roots of the New Liberalism in England.” Political Theory 4.4 (1976): 471–490.

  DOI: 10.1177/009059177600400406Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Traces the evolutionary developmental aspects of Ritchie’s liberal philosophy. An excellent analysis of the background to Ritchie’s thought.

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• Morrow, John. “Liberalism and British Idealist Political Philosophy: A Reassessment.” History of Political Thought 5.1 (1984): 91–108.

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  Excellent analysis of the state, democracy, and property through the work of British idealists, with a focus on Ritchie. This essay may be of particular interest to readers coming to Ritchie’s thought for the first time.

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• Neill, E. “Evolutionary Theory and British Idealism: The Case of David George Ritchie.” History of European Ideas 29.3 (2003): 313–338.

  DOI: 10.1016/S0191-6599(03)00004-4Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Provides a thorough general overview of Ritchie’s social and political philosophy.

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• Ritchie, David G. The Principles of State Interference: Four Essays on the Political Philosophy of Mr. Herbert Spencer, J. S. Mill, and T. H. Green. London: Swan Sonnenschein, 1891.

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  His most influential and important work, critically exploring leading contributions to political philosophy at his time while offering a developmental understanding of rights as a viable and attractive alternative.

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• Ritchie, David G. Natural Rights: A Criticism of Some Political and Ethical Conceptions. London: Swan Sonnenschein, 1895.

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  Offers an original contribution to the study of natural and human rights. This work will appeal both to readers coming to the study of Ritchie’s thought for the first time and to anyone interested in the topic of rights.

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• Ritchie, David G. Studies in Political and Social Ethics. London: Swan Sonnenschein, 1902.

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  Presents a highly useful collection of essays on ethics and political philosophy. It is a wide-ranging work and accessible to those coming to Ritchie’s thought for the first time.

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• Weinstein, D. “Vindicating Utilitarianism.” Utilitas 14 (2002): 71–95.

  DOI: 10.1017/S095382080000340XSave Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Offers the best discussion of Ritchie’s important analysis of utilitarianism.

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Other Idealists

The sections on T. H. Green, F. H. Bradley, Bernard Bosanquet, and others represent the leading figures in British idealism. There were a great many others of importance as well. This section concerns some leading contributions by and about four British idealists: J. S. Mackenzie, J. H. Muirhead, James Seth, and Andrew Seth Pringle-Pattison. John Stuart Mackenzie lived from 1860 to 1935 and was a professor at the University of Cardiff. His most important contributions concern two texts originally written for use in lectures and private study. Mackenzie 1895 is an excellent introduction to social philosophy as understood by British idealists. Mackenzie 1929 is perhaps his most influential work. It provides a wide-ranging and thorough analysis of ethics. The best analysis of Mackenzie’s many contributions to social and political philosophy is Brooks 2009. John Henry Muirhead lived from 1855 to 1940 and was a professor at the University of Birmingham, later working in California after his retirement. He was a highly regarded editor and edited the Library of Philosophy series (1888–1940). Muirhead 1910 is his most important and influential text, originally written to aid students in his lectures but later widely used by students working on ethics around the world. It is comprehensive, thought-provoking, and original. Hetherington and Muirhead 1918 presents an excellent analysis of how Hegelian philosophy might be applied to address contemporary issues in public policy. Brooks 2009 presents the best analysis of Muirhead’s contributions to social and political philosophy. James Seth lived from 1860 to 1925. He worked at several universities, including Dalhousie University and Brown University. He was later the Sage Professor of Philosophy at Cornell University and for more than twenty years held the chair in moral philosophy at Edinburgh University. Seth 1926 offers his important and original contributions to ethics, the philosophy of religion, and political philosophy. His most important contribution is Seth 1894, which is an exciting analysis of ethics, philosophy, and public policy with real insights on pressing issues of the early twenty-first century. Brooks 2012 is an excellent discussion of his political and legal theory. Seth’s brother, Andrew Seth Pringle-Pattison, lived from 1856 to 1931 and held chairs at the University of St. Andrews and the University of Edinburgh. Seth Pringle-Pattison 1887 is his most important work, offering original insights into metaphysics and personalist idealism. Perhaps the best analysis is Mander 2005.

• Brooks, Thom. “Muirhead, Hetherington, and Mackenzie.” In The Moral, Social, and Political Philosophy of the British Idealists. Edited by William Sweet, 209–232. Exeter, UK: Academic, 2009.

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  Offers the best analysis of and introduction to the contributions of Mackenzie and Muirhead available. Will be of great interest to those coming to the thought for the first time.

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• Brooks, Thom. “James Seth on Natural Law and Legal Theory.” Collingwood and British Idealism Studies 12 (2012): 115–132.

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  This is an excellent discussion of James Seth’s political and legal theory.

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• Hetherington, H. J. W., and J. H. Muirhead. Social Purpose: A Contribution to a Philosophy of Civic Society. London: Allen and Unwin, 1918.

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  Presents an excellent analysis of how Hegelian philosophy might be applied to address contemporary issues in public policy. Will be of particular interest to readers interested in the development of social policy in the early twentieth century.

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• Mackenzie, John S. An Introduction to Social Philosophy. 2d ed. Glasgow: James MacLehose, 1895.

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  Provides an excellent introduction to social philosophy as understood by British idealists. It is wide-ranging and accessible to persons coming to Mackenzie’s thought for the first time.

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• Mackenzie, John S. A Manual of Ethics. 6th ed. London: University Tutorial, 1929.

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  Perhaps his most influential work. It provides a wide-ranging and thorough analysis of ethics. Accessible to first-time readers.

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• Mander, W. J. “Life and Finite Individuality: The Bosanquet/Pringle-Pattison Debate.” British Journal for the History of Philosophy 13 (2005): 111–130.

  DOI: 10.1080/0960878042000317618Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  An excellent analysis of Pringle-Pattison on metaphysics.

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• Muirhead, J. H. The Elements of Ethics. Rev. ed. London: John Murray, 1910.

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  Presents his most important and influential text, originally written to aid students in his lectures but later widely used by students working on ethics around the world. It is comprehensive, thought-provoking, and original as well as highly accessible.

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• Seth, James. A Study of Ethical Principles. Edinburgh: William Blackwood, 1894.

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  Presents an exciting analysis of ethics, philosophy, and public policy with real insights on pressing issues of the early twenty-first century. An accessible collection of essays with novel arguments concerning key debates and policy issues.

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• Seth, James. Essays in Ethics and Religion with Other Papers. Edited by Andrew Seth Pringle-Pattison. Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1926.

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  Offers his important and original contributions to ethics, the philosophy of religion, and political philosophy.

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• Seth Pringle-Pattison, Andrew. Hegelianism and Personality. Balfour Philosophical Lectures 2. Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1887.

  DOI: 10.1037/14306-000Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »

  Perhaps his most important work, offering original insights into metaphysics and personalist idealism.

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