Exploring the life of Robert Wedderburn, this biography delves into the journey of an ultra-radical thinker from Jamaica to London. It highlights his significant contributions to social and political thought, revealing his influence on radical movements. The narrative, crafted by an award-winning historian, offers a unique perspective on Wedderburn's ideas and the historical context of his activism, shedding light on the complexities of his character and the impact of his work.
By extending our view of early black British writing beyond traditional questions of slavery and abolition, Ryan Hanley places black agency at the heart of a new social and cultural history of Georgian Britain. Combining historical research and literary analysis, he shows how black writers helped to make British society.
Invaluable wisdom on living a good life from the founder of modern economics Adam Smith is best known today as the founder of modern economics, but he was also an uncommonly brilliant philosopher who was especially interested in the perennial question of how to live a good life. Our Great Purpose is a short and illuminating guide to Smith's incomparable wisdom on how to live well, written by one of today's leading Smith scholars. In this inspiring and entertaining book, Ryan Patrick Hanley describes Smith's vision of "the excellent and praiseworthy character," and draws on the philosopher's writings to show how each of us can go about developing one. For Smith, an excellent character is distinguished by qualities such as prudence, self-command, justice, and benevolence—virtues that have been extolled since antiquity. Yet Smith wrote not for the ancient polis but for the world of market society—our world—which rewards self-interest more than virtue. Hanley shows how Smith set forth a vision of the worthy life that is uniquely suited to us today. Full of invaluable insights on topics ranging from happiness and moderation to love and friendship, Our Great Purpose enables modern readers to see Smith in an entirely new light—and along the way, learn what it truly means to live a good life.