Ethical Studies

Ethical Studies, now regarded as a classic, was first published in 1876 to an unenthusiastic reception. Unorthodox and highly polemical, the book was written as a counterblast to the Utilitarianism which then dominated English moral philosophy. The book soon went out of print and remained so for many years, Bradley himself refusing to reprint it, believing that, as many of the 'superstitions' against which the book had been directed no longer prevailed, it should either be rewritten or remain out of print. Towards the end of his life, however, he regretted the long unavailability of the work and started preparing rough notes for a reissues, which was published posthumously in 1927. Today, more than a century after the original publication, his polemic retains all its force and vigour.