The Culture of Equity in Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Britain and America

Extending the chronological and cultural scope of Fortier's book on equity, which focuses on early modern England, this interdisciplinary study draws on politics, religion, law, literature, and philosophy to argue that equity continued to be a key word throughout the Restoration and 18th century in Britain and America.

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Drawing on politics, religion, law, literature, and philosophy, this interdisciplinary study is a sequel to Mark Fortier’s bookThe Culture of Equity in Early Modern England (Ashgate, 2006). The earlier volume traced the meanings and usage of equity in broad cultural terms (including but not limited to law) to position equity as a keyword of valuation, persuasion, and understanding; the present volume carries that work through the Restoration and eighteenth century in Britain and America. Fortier argues that equity continued to be a keyword, used and contested in many of the major social and political events of the period. Further, he argues that equity needs to be seen in this period largely outside the Aristotelian parameters that have generally been assumed in scholarship on equity.