Eileen Hunt Botting Book order

In Mary Shelley and the Rights of the Child, Eileen Hunt Botting contends that Frankenstein is a profound work of speculative fiction designed to engage a radical moral and political question: do children have rights?

First published in 1792, this book was written in a spirit of outrage and enthusiasm. In an age of ferment, following the American and French revolutions, Mary Wollstonecraft took prevailing egalitarian principles and dared to apply them to women.

Exploring the intersection of family and political philosophy, this analysis delves into the perspectives of Rousseau, Burke, and Wollstonecraft. It highlights how each thinker perceives the family's influence on societal structures and individual identity. The book examines the contrasting views on the role of family in shaping moral values, civic responsibility, and gender roles, offering a nuanced understanding of how these ideas have evolved and their implications for contemporary political thought.