In the late nineteenth century, a number of prominent reformers wereinfluenced by what Edward Carpenter called “the largersocialism." They would not only address the “bread andcheese" concerns of orthodox socialism, they intended tocompletely transform society, including the place of animals withinit. To open a window on late Victorian ideas about animals, Rod Preeceexplores what he calls radical idealism and animal sensibility in thework of George Bernard Shaw, the acknowledged prophet of modernism andconscience of his age. Preece examines Shaw’s reformist thought- particularly the notion of inclusive justice, which aimed toeliminate the suffering of both humans and animals - in relation tothat of fellow reformers such as Howard Williams, Edward Carpenter, Annie Besant, Anna Kingsford, and Henry Salt and the HumanitarianLeague. Shaw’s philosophy of Creative Evolution, Preece argues, was a dimension of socialist thought in response to Darwinism. Preece’s fascinating account of the characters and crusades thatshaped Shaw’s philosophy sheds new light not only on modernistthought but also on an overlooked aspect of the history of the animalrights movement. | Animal Sensibility and Inclusive Justice in the Age of Bernard Shaw by Rod Preece, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters