The Metaphysical Society was founded in 1869 at the instigation of James Knowles (editor of the Contemporary Review and then of the Nineteenth Century) with a view to 'collect, arrange, and diffuse Knowledge (whether objective or subjective) of mental and moral phenomena' (first resolution of the society in April 1869). The Society was a private dining and debate club that gathered together a latter-day clerisy. Building on the tradition of the Cambridge Apostles, they elected talented members from across the Victorian intellectual spectrum: Bishops, one Cardinal, philosophers, men of science, literary figures, and politicians. The Society included in its 62 members prominent figures such as T. H. Huxley, William Gladstone, Walter Bagehot, Henry Edward Manning, John Ruskin, and Alfred Lord Tennyson. The Metaphysical Society (1869-1880) moves beyond Alan Willard Brown's 1947 pioneering study of the Metaphysical Society by offering a more detailed analysis of its inner dynamics and its larger impact outside the dining room at the Grosvenor Hotel. The contributors shed light on many of the colourful figures that joined the Society as well as the alliances that they formed with fellow members. The collection also examines the major concepts that informed the papers presented at Society meetings. By discussing groups, important individuals, and underlying concepts, the volume contributes to a rich, new picture of Victorian intellectual life during the 1870's, a period when intellectuals were wondering how, and what, to believe in a time of social change, spiritual crisis, and scientific progress.

W. K. Clifford (1845-1879) was a noted mathematician and popularizer of science in the Victorian era. Although he made major contributions in the field of geometry, he is perhaps best known for a short essay he wrote in 1876, entitled "The Ethics of Belief", in which he argued that "It is wrong always, everywhere, and for any one, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence." Delivered initially as an address to the august Metaphysical Society (whose members included such luminaries as Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Gladstone, T. H. Huxley, and assorted scientists, clerics and philosophers of differing metaphysical views, "The Ethics of Belief" became a rallying cry for freethinkers and a bone of contention for religious apologists. It continues to be discussed today as an exemplar of what is called 'evidentialism', a key point in current philosophy of religion debates over justification of knowledge claims. In this book, Timothy J. Madigan examines the continuing relevance of "The Ethics of Belief" to epistemological and ethical concerns. He places the essay within the historical context, especially the so-called 'Victorian Crisis of Faith' of which Clifford was a key player. Clifford's own life and interests are dealt with as well, along with the responses to his essay by his contemporaries, the most famous of which was William James's "The Will to Believe." Madigan provides an overview of modern-day critics of Cliffordian evidentialism, as well as examining thinkers who were positively influenced by him, including Bertrand Russell, who was perhaps Clifford's most influential successor as an advocate of intellectual honesty. The book ends with a defense of "The Ethics of Belief" from a virtue-theory approach, and argues that Clifford utilizes an "as-if" methodology to encourage intellectual inquiry and communal truth-seeking.' The Ethics of Belief' continues to provoke and stimulate controversy, which was perhaps Clifford's own fondest hope, although he had no right to believe it would do so.

Physicist John Tyndall and his contemporaries were at the forefront of developing the cosmology of scientific naturalism during the Victorian period. They rejected all but physical laws as having any impact on the operations of human life and the universe. Contributors focus on the way Tyndall and his correspondents developed their ideas through letters, periodicals and scientific journals and challenge previously held assumptions about who gained authority, and how they attained and defended their position within the scientific community.

Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time "Eminent Victorians" marked an epoch in the art of biography; it also helped to crack the old myths of high Victorianism and to usher in a new spirit by which chauvinism, hypocrisy and the stiff upper lip were debunked. In it, Strachey cleverly exposes the self-seeking ambitions of Cardinal Manning and the manipulative, neurotic Florence Nightingale; and in his essays on Dr Arnold and General Gordon, his quarries are not only his subjects but also the public-school system and the whole structure of nineteenth-century liberal values.

Lytton Strachey, the English biographer and critic, introduced a new era of biographical writing at the close of World War I. Strachey’s works are celebrated for establishing a new form of biography in which psychological insight and sympathy are combined with irreverence and wit. This comprehensive eBook presents Strachey’s complete works, with numerous illustrations, rare texts appearing in digital print for the first time, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Strachey’s life and works * Concise introductions to the major texts * All the famous biographies, with individual contents tables * Rare collections appearing for the first time in digital publishing, including CHARACTERS AND COMMENTARIES * Images of how the books were first published, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * Excellent formatting of the texts * Includes Strachey’s rare poetry – available in no other collection * Also includes Strachey’s early Spectator essays, first time in digital print * Features two contextual pieces, evaluating Strachey’s contribution to literature * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please note: the play THE SON OF HEAVEN and some minor posthumous works cannot appear in this collection due to copyright restrictions. When new works enter the public domain, they will be added to the collection as a free update. Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: The Books INTRODUCTION FOR ‘A SIMPLE STORY’ by E. Inchbald LANDMARKS IN FRENCH LITERATURE EMINENT VICTORIANS QUEEN VICTORIA BOOKS AND CHARACTERS ELIZABETH AND ESSEX: A TRAGIC HISTORY PORTRAITS IN MINIATURE AND OTHER ESSAYS CHARACTERS AND COMMENTARIES MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS FROM ‘THE SPECTATOR’ The Poetry ELY: AN ODE, FROM PROLUSIONES ACADEMICAE, 1902 EUPHROSYNE: A COLLECTION OF VERSE The Contextual Pieces THE ART OF BIOGRAPHY by Virginia Woolf LYTTON STRACHEY by Max Beerbohm Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles or to purchase this eBook as a Parts Edition of individual eBooks

Eminent Victorians is a book by Lytton Strachey. It consists of biographies of four leading figures from the Victorian era: Cardinal Manning, Florence Nightingale, Thomas Arnold and General Gordon.