Edith Jemima Simcox (21 August 1844 – 15 September 1901) was a British philosopher, writer,

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

activist, and

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

. She published a large number of journal articles in

Fraser's Magazine ''Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country'' was a general and literary journal published in London from 1830 to 1882, which initially took a strong Tory line in politics. It was founded by Hugh Fraser and William Maginn in 1830 and loosely directe ...

Fortnightly Review ''The Fortnightly Review'' was one of the most prominent and influential magazines in nineteenth-century England. It was founded in 1865 by Anthony Trollope, Frederic Harrison, Edward Spencer Beesly, and six others with an investment of £9,000; ...

The Nineteenth Century ''The Nineteenth Century'' was a British monthly literary magazine founded in 1877 by James Knowles. It is regarded by historians as 'one of the most important and distinguished monthlies of serious thought in the last quarter of the nineteent ...

Macmillan's Magazine ''Macmillan's Magazine'' was a monthly British magazine from 1859 to 1907 published by Alexander Macmillan (publisher), Alexander Macmillan. The magazine was a literary magazine, literary periodical that published fiction and non-fiction works fr ...

Contemporary Review ''The Contemporary Review'' is a British biannual, formerly quarterly, magazine. It has an uncertain future as of 2013. History The magazine was established in 1866 by Alexander Strahan and a group of intellectuals anxious to promote intellige ...

, the philosophy journal

Mind (journal) ''MIND'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Mind Association. Having previously published exclusively philosophy in the analytic tradition, it now "aims to take quality to be the s ...

and in particular

The Academy (periodical) ''The Academy'' was a review of literature and general topics published in London from 1869 to 1902, founded by Charles Appleton. The first issue was published on 9 October 1869 under the title ''The Academy: A Monthly Record of Literature, Lear ...

, for which she wrote around 70 articles. The topics ranged widely but mainly covered literature, philosophy, and social and political issues. She often used the pseudonym "H. Lawrenny". Within philosophy Simcox often reviewed and responded to German philosophy of the time. For example, she wrote on Schopenhauer (''Contemporary Review'', 1872), on

Johann Georg Hamann Johann Georg Hamann (; ; 27 August 1730 – 21 June 1788) was a German Lutheran philosopher from Königsberg known as "the Wizard of the North" who was one of the leader figures of post-Kantian philosophy. His work was used by his student J. G. ...

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

(''The Academy'', 1872 and 1869). Amongst other literary works she reviewed ''Middlemarch'' by

George Eliot Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively Mary Anne or Marian), known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wro ...

(1873) and the ''Memoir of Jane Austen'' (1870). From essays Simcox progressed to write several books. ''Natural Law: An Essay in Ethics'' appeared in 1877. Simcox approached morality as a natural phenomenon, opposing the view that morality must depend on religion. The book gave an account of government, morality, religion, and the ideal form of social, political and economic organisation. It was an ambitious work and was widely reviewed. In

, for example, it was described as a "thoughtful and able work

hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...

is in many respects the most important contribution yet made to the Ethics of the Evolution-Theory". Simcox's other major theoretical work was the massive two-volume ''Primitive Civilisations'', published in 1894. It was on the Egyptian, Babylonian, Phoenician, and Chinese civilisations, looking at the relation between their property relations and other aspects of their social organisation. She argued that Europeans had underestimated these societies and that the West had much to learn from them. A reviewer in the ''American Journal of Sociology'' said that she had produced a "book which for interest to the student of social institutions may be compared with

Herbert Spencer Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English philosopher, psychologist, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist famous for his hypothesis of social Darwinism. Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest" ...

's ''Principles of Sociology''". Simcox was involved in politics and the union movement. In 1875 she and

Emma Paterson Emma Anne Paterson (''née'' Smith; 5 April 1848 – 1 December 1886) was an English feminist and trade unionist. Life Emma Anne Smith was born in London on 5 April 1848, the daughter of Henry Smith (died 1864), headmaster of a school in St ...

became the first women to attend the

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as delegates. From 1879-1882 she was a member of the

London School Board The School Board for London, commonly known as the London School Board (LSB), was an institution of local government and the first directly elected body covering the whole of London. The Elementary Education Act 1870 was the first to provide for ...

representing Westminster. In 1872, when she was preparing a book review of Middlemarch, Edith Simcox met and fell in love with the female novelist known by her pseudonym, George Eliot. Although this "love-passion" was not reciprocated, Simcox was determined "to love rather than be loved" and continued to be a devoted friend to Eliot. For Simcox's complete journal, see Fulmer and Barfield, eds., ''Autobiography of a Shirtmaker''. Simcox lived at 60

Dean Street Dean Street is a street in Soho, central London, running from Oxford Street south to Shaftesbury Avenue. Historical figures and places In 1764 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, then a young boy, gave a recital at 21 Dean Street. Admiral Nelson stayed ...

, London.

Selected works

*''Natural Law: An Essay in Ethics'' (1877) *''George Eliot. Her life and works'' (1881) article in the ''Nineteenth Century'' *''Episodes in the Lives of Men, Women and Lovers'' (1882) fiction *''The Capacity of Women'' (1887) article in the ''Nineteenth Century'' *''Primitive Civilizations: or Outlines of the History of Ownership in Archaic Communities'' (1894) *''A Monument to the Memory of George Eliot: Edith J. Simcox's Autobiography of a Shirtmaker'' (1998) autobiography, edited by Constance M. Fulmer and Margaret E. Barfield (New York: Routledge, 1997)

Selected works

References

Further reading