William Ewart Gladstone (1809-98) was the outstanding statesman of the Victorian age. He was an MP for over sixty years, a long serving and exceptional Chancellor of the Exchequer and four times Prime Minister. As the leader of the Liberal party over three decades, he personified the values and policies of later Victorian Liberalism. Gladstone, however, was always more than just a politician. He was also a considerable scholar, a dedicated Churchman and had a range of interests and connections that made him, in many respects, the quintessential Victorian. Yet important aspects of Gladstone's life have received relatively little recent attention from historians. This study reappraises Gladstone by focusing on five themes: his reputation; his representation in visual and material culture; his personal life; his role as an official; and the ethical and political basis of his international policies. This collection of original, often multidisciplinary studies, provides new perspectives on Gladstone's public and private life. As such, it illustrates the many-sided nature of his career and the complexities of his personality.
Autorentext
Ruth Clayton Windscheffel, The Open University, UK; Roger Swift, University of Chester, UK; and Roland Quinault, University of London, UK.
Zusammenfassung
The surge of contemporary interest in Vygotsky's contribution to child psychology has focused largely on his developmental method and his claim that higher psychological functions in the individual emerge out of social processes, that is, his notion of the "e;zone of proximal development."e; Insufficient attention has been given to his claim that human social and psychological processes are shaped by cultural tools or mediational means. This book is one of the most important documents for understanding this claim. Making a timely appearance, this volume speaks directly to the present crisis in education and the nature/nurture debate in psychology. It provides a greater understanding of an interdisciplinarian approach to the education of normal and exceptional children, the role of literacy in psychological development, the historical and cultural evolution of behavior, and other important issues in cognitive psychology, neurobiology, and cultural and social anthropology.
Inhalt
Contents: Foreword, David Bebbington; Introduction, Ruth Clayton Windscheffel; Part I Reputations: Gladstone; a political not a cultural radical, Frank M. Turner; Gladstone and Peel's mantle, Richard A. Gaunt; Gladstone and labour, Chris Wrigley. Part II Images: Gladstone's visage: problem and performance, Joseph S. Meisel; Material Gladstones, Mark Nixon. Part III Personal Questions: Gladstone as friend, Denis Paz; Gladstone as woodsman, Peter Sewter; The health of a Prime Minister: Gladstone 1868-85, Jenny West. Part IV Gladstone as an Official: Gladstone, finance and the problems of Ireland, 1853-66, Allen Warren; Gladstone and the Ionian Islands, C. Brad Faught. Part V Ethics and Internationalism: Gladstone and war, Roland Quinault; Gladstone and the suppression of the slave trade, Richard Huzzey; Gladstone's 'greater world': free trade, empire and liberal internationalism, Deryck M. Schreuder. Part VI Epilogue: Gladstone's legacy, Eugenio Biagini; A selected bibliography, Roger Swift; Index.