Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury

1671–1713

Nationality: English

Historical Period: The 18th Century

Anthony Ashley Cooper, the Third Earl of Shaftesbury (1671-1713) was the grandson of a founder and leader of the English Whigs, and was tutored by John Locke. Shaftesbury rote one of the most intellectually influential works in English of the eighteenth century, the Characteristicks. Widely regarded as the first exponent of the view that ethics derives from reason and “sentiment,” Shaftesbury criticizes not only Locke but, especially, Hobbes for the dim view that “the state of nature” is “a war of all against all.” To the contrary, Shaftesbury argued that human nature responds most fully to representations of the good, the true, and the beautiful, and that human beings naturally desire society.

See a complete list of the illustrations Shaftesbury created for the book (including large higher resolution images):

• in the Forum: Images of Liberty and Power

See Quotes from Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury:

• The Earl of Shaftesbury on the value of good conversations

Titles from Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury:

• Author: Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times, 3 vols.