The Scientific Spirit of the Age, and Other Pleas and Discussions

"The Scientific Spirit of the Age, and Other Pleas and Discussions" by Frances Power Cobbe includes essays from the late 1800s, that look closely at how science was affecting society, schooling, right and wrong, faith, and the arts. Cobbe is concerned about science being too important, and shares strong feelings about the need for teaching emotions, thinking about what is right, and valuing beauty as essential. The beginning of the collection has Cobbe preparing the reader for her ideas, differentiating between writing that tries to persuade and that which debates various points. She worries that scientific thinking is overpowering, leading us to care less about the arts, feelings, and what is ethical, despite science doing a lot of good. Cobbe brings up how scientists were dealing with moral questions to highlight the risks of depending too much on facts and analysis while ignoring how we feel and what we believe is righteous.