Breeding: A Partial History of the Eighteenth Century

by Jenny Davidson

The Enlightenment commitment to reason naturally gave rise to a belief in the perfectibility of man. Influenced by John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, many eighteenth-century writers argued that the proper education and upbringing--breeding--could make any man a member of the cultural elite.

Yet even in this egalitarian environment, the concept of breeding remained tied to theories of blood lineage, caste distinction, and biological difference...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0231138784
• ISBN13: 9780231138789
• Release Date: December 2008
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.3"