Philosophy of Individuality, The.
A Metaphysical Manifesto By A Pioneering
Women’s Rights Reformer, Theologian, And Social Scientist
With An ALS
Blackwell, Antoinette Brown. The Philosophy of Individuality: Or The One and The Many. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1893.
8vo.; multicolored scientific illustrations of “rhythmic atoms,” “two-atom molecules,” etc., throughout; library stamp on front pastedown; maroon cloth, spine stamped in gilt; light wear. In a specially made cloth slipcase.
First edition of Blackwell’s fourth book. A presentation copy, inscribed on the second blank: Rev. M.J.Savage, DD. Compliments of the author. With an autograph letter signed by Blackwell affixed to the front pastedown, addressed to Savage and expressing, in part, the wish that he read this book: “Possibly during your … vacation you may find opportunity to examine the enclosed volume, bearing on Immortality and kindred inquiries.” (Let us hope that Mr. Savage had a long vacation planned indeed.)
In densely argued prose, Blackwell, ever the brilliant and innovative rationalist, tackles a complex topic. It is best to let her speak in her own words. To quote from the preface:
In every book there is both the topic under consideration and the method of its treatment. The present work, being a theory of the inherent correlations of all processes, attempts to give correlative explanations also.
Nature’s proceedings are held to be rhythmic in character, physical changes tending to return upon themselves and unprogressively repeat their inherent cycles of changes, except when psychical gains, which wind upwards in continuous spirals, carry up the physical with them, as in all normal organization and its processes. In dealing with the complexity and multiplicity of natural phenomena, the writer has tried to follow the lead of the theory in the assumed explanations – repeatedly returning to the same themes and presenting their various aspects. ….
Thus no subject assumes to be adequately discussed in all its aspects, or to be presented otherwise than as a specially illustrating and confirming the central theory of a correlated persistent individuality in each of the ultimate units of Conditioned Being. These individuals are supposed to be innately conditioned in working correlation, and to obtain their mental evolution through mutual aid from inherently adapted cooperations. The method of discussion leads to partial repetitions, which are increased by the desire to keep each section of the subject measurably distinct and complete in itself. (pp. iii-iv)
What follows are nineteen chapters, for example: “The Scope and Character of the Inquiry,” “The Rhythmic Atom,” “Matter a Complex of Modes or Motion,” “Radiation and Gravitation,” “Correlated Mind and Matter,” “The Nascent Mind and Its Environment,” “Conscious Mind and Co-Operative Organism,” and like titles.
This is the second Blackwell title included in this catalogue. The previous one, The Sexes Throughout Nature, was published nearly twenty years earlier, in 1875, and deals more directly with the nature of gender.
(#5745)
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