Dorothea Krook – författare

This 1962 appraisal of seven of James's major works provides an insight into his artistic purpose and a fuller appreciation of his material and method. The author's main texts are chosen both for their representativeness and their need of detailed elucidation. These chosen texts and consequently the studies are closely connected by the theme of 'being and seeing' - the exploration of James's peculiar notion of consciousness. They also consider the continuity of James's moral, social and philosophical preoccupations through the various periods of his creative life. The author demands no intimate knowledge of the works: she begins each study with an account of the story which is itself an important part of the elucidation, and then proceeds to unfold layer after layer of meaning. The author's arguments are intellectually stimulating and her interpretations sensitive and accompanied by ample and carefully chosen quotations, which allow James's voice to be heard whenever necessary.

Originally published in 1959, the basis of this book was a course of lectures given at Cambridge University entitled Three Traditions of Moral Thought: Platonic-Christian; Utilitarian; Humanist. Designed chiefly for students of literature, and maintaining the accessible structure of the original lectures, it was intended to provide an introduction to English moral thought and the problems of moral philosophy. Whilst this approach necessarily involved an avoidance of a 'pure' philosophical method, it was enriched by fresh perspectives derived from literary criticism and a direct, non-technical style. This is an informative volume that will be of value to anyone with an interest in moral philosophy, literary criticism, and the relationship between the two.

This book presents an account of the essentially Aristotelian philosophy of John Sergeant (1623-1707) and his Blackloist colleagues, Kenelm Digby and Thomas White. Despite their notoriety as Catholic controversialists in the mid-seventeenth century, Sergeant and his circle have long suffered from historical neglect, and Professor Krook's work provides a useful corrective to conventional historiography.Digby, White and Sergeant were all concerned to present a coherent philosophical and theological framework, which would provide some certainty in the face of the contemporary sceptical challenge, and the author shows how their work was securely based on traditional Aristotelian foundations. Through a detailed discussion of Aristotelian methodology, she shows how, in the face of Protestant misunderstanding, they justified their own claims for certainty.This study restores Sergeant and his circle to their proper historical importance and provides an original and illuminating study of late seventeenth-century Aristotelian philosophy.