In1880sBritain,VictoriaWelby(1837-1912)begancreatingarich,wide-rangingmetaphysicalsystem.AtitsheartliesMotion,’thegreatfact,thesupremecategory’.Drawingextensivelyonarchivematerials,thisElementoffersthefirststudyofWelby’smetaphysics.Itportraysheruniverseasacomplexofmotions:motionscomprisematerialbodies,livingbeings,andconsciousminds.Thisdynamicuniverse,’Motion’,underliesmanyotherelementsofherthought,includingherviewsonidealism,panpsychism,change,space,andanti-realismabouttime.ThisstudyshowsthatWelby’smetaphysicsaredeeplyembeddedinthescientific-philosophicaldebatesofherperiod,andvariouslydrawonvortextheoriesofmatterinphysics;Victorianpanpsychisms,fuelledbydebatesoverthecontinuityofmindinDarwinianevolution;andnewconceptionsoftimeasthe’fourthdimension’ofspace.VictoriaWelbysignificantlyadvancesourunderstandingofWelby’sphilosophy,openingpathsforfuturescholarship.
’Motion’ CHANGE MOTION SPHILOSOPHY VICTORIA change
