Letters on the improvement of the mind vs The capacity to care

Both "Letters on the improvement of the mind" by Hester Chapone, Chapone, Thomas Enquiry into the Duties of the Female Sex Gisborne and "The capacity to care" by Wendy Hollway are popular choices for readers interested in Conduct of life and Early works to 1800. This comparison helps you decide which to read first — or whether both belong on your list.

Shared Themes

WomenSex role
Cover of Letters on the improvement of the mind

Letters on the improvement of the mind

Hester Chapone, Chapone, Thomas Enquiry into the Duties of the Female Sex Gisborne

1773

This collection of works by John Gregory, Lady Sarah Pennington, and Mrs. Chapone offers a fascinating glimpse into the self-improvement literature of the late 18th century. With a focus on education, family life, and personal growth, these texts provide valuable historical context for modern readers. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Published 1773
Books like Letters on the improvement of the mind
Cover of The capacity to care

The capacity to care

Wendy Hollway

2006

Wendy Hollway explores a subject that is largely absent from the topical literature on care. Humans are not born with a capacity to care, and this volume explores how this capacity is achieved through the experiences of primary care, gender development and later, parenting. In this book, the author addresses the assumption that the capacity to care is innate. She argues that key processes in the early development of babies and young children create the capability for individuals to care, with a focus on the role of intersubjective experience and parent-child relations. The Capacity to Care also explores the controversial belief that women are better at caring than men and questions whether this is likely to change with contemporary shifts in parenting and gender relations. Similarly, the sensitive domain of the quality of care and how to consider whether care has broken down are also debated, alongside a consideration of what constitutes a ‘good enough’ family. The Capacity to Care provides a unique theorization of the nature of selfhood, drawing on developmental and object relations psychoanalysis, as well as philosophical and feminist literatures. It will be of relevance to social scientists studying gender development, gender relations and the family as well as those interested in the ethics of care debate.

Published 2006
Books like The capacity to care

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is easier to read: Letters on the improvement of the mind or The capacity to care?
Reading difficulty depends on your familiarity with the genre. Check each book's page count and subject matter above, and start with whichever aligns better with books you've enjoyed before.
Can I read Letters on the improvement of the mind and The capacity to care in any order?
Yes — these are standalone works. You don't need to read one before the other unless they're part of the same series.
Which book is better for beginners?
If you're new to this genre, look at the shorter book with broader appeal and start there. You can always come back for the other.

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