Quotes by Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury
1671 – 1713
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.
Bio
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
Odds & Ends
The Earl of Shaftesbury states that civility and politeness is a consequence of liberty by which “we polish one another, and rub off our Corners and rough Sides” (1709)
Sport and Liberty
The Earl of Shaftesbury relates the story of an unscrupulous glazier who gives the rowdy town youths a football so they will smash windows in the street and thus drum up business (1737)
Politics & Liberty
Shaftesbury on the need for liberty to promote the liberal arts (1712)
Presidents, Kings, Tyrants, & Despots
Shaftesbury opposes the nonresisting test bill before the House of Lords as a step towards “absolute and arbitrary” government (1675)
Freedom of Speech
The Earl of Shaftesbury on the value of good conversations for questioning everything (1709)
Quote
Shaftesbury on Truth as the Most Powerful Thing in the World
Freedom of Speech
Shaftesbury on the True Test of Bravery
Natural Rights
Shaftesbury and Learning Goodness