ENN New Voices: Catharine Trotter Cockburn's Moral Philosophy: Interview with Ruth Boeker

In this episode, Nan Lin speaks with Ruth Boeker, Associate Professor in the School of Philosophy at University College Dublin, about Catharine Trotter Cockburn, an influential moral philosopher from the early modern period. Boeker introduces Cockburn’s life and work, discussing her own interest in Cockburn and what makes her a key figure in early modern philosophy. The discussion explores Cockburn’s views on human nature, moral motivation, morality’s ties to religion, and her thoughts on education. Boeker also addresses current scholarship on Cockburn, highlighting both well-studied and under-explored areas. Finally, Boeker leads us through Cockburn’s views on education and moral philosophy. This conversation offers a chance to appreciate the depth and lasting relevance of Cockburn’s philosophy.
 
To listen to this episode, please visit our podcast page.

References
 
Works by Cockburn
Cockburn, Catharine Trotter. Philosophical Writings. Edited by Patricia Sheridan. Peterborough, ON: Broadview Press, 2006.
—————. The Works of Mrs. Catharine Cockburn. Edited by Thomas Birch. 2 vols. London: Printed for J. and P. Knapton, 1751.

The podcast also mentions the following other writings by Cockburn:

• “On the Usefulness of Schools and Universities, for the Improvement of the Mind, in Right Notions of God."
  
• “Letter of Advice to her Son."
  

Both are included in Birch’s edition of Cockburn’s Works (1751).
 
Works by Boeker
Boeker, Ruth. Catharine Trotter Cockburn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023.
—————. “Catharine Trotter Cockburn against Theological Voluntarism." In Varieties of Voluntarism in Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy, edited by Sonja Schierbaum and Jörn Müller, 251–270. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2024.
—————. “Watts and Trotter Cockburn on the Power of Thinking." In Powers and Abilities in Early Modern Philosophy, edited by Sebastian Bender and Dominik Perler, 286–304. Abingdon and New York: Routledge, 2024.

For additional literature on Catharine Trotter Cockburn, please see PhilPapers:
https://philpapers.org/browse/catharine-trotter-cockburn