A Radical Hegelian: The Political and Social Philosophy of Henry Jones

In the last decade there has been a growing interest in Victorian and Edwardian philosophical thought and in the relation between idealism and liberalism in the same period. This book is an attempt to reconstruct the thoughts of one Edwardian Welsh Hegelian - Henry Jones. The book uses his ideas as a catalyst to guide and explore the various intricate philosophical, political, religious and scientific debates at the close of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. This method allows an investigation of his ideals in a broader intellectual context. It also allows Jones' ideas to resonate within their intellectual environment. Jones had an immense reputation at the time as one of the leading philosophers in Britain, Canada, Australia and the USA, concerned with applying philosophical principles to political and social problems. He gave extensive lecture tours in the latter two countries, participating, in the USA, in the inauguration of the Rice Institute. He was also an active liberal and knew many of the key political figures of this period, like Asquith, Lloyd George and H.A.L. Fisher, amongst many others.