The University of Texas at Austin - Lisa Moore
The rational actor has long been considered the central figure of liberal subjectivity. In this intriguing book, which brings together queer theory and Victorian science studies, Kathleen Frederickson shows how nineteenth-century thinkers adopted instinct, rather than reason, as a desirable quality for the arts of governance. Counter-intuitive, surprising, and utterly convincing, The Ploy of Instinct is a refreshing addition to the intellectual history of liberalism.
University of Iowa - Teresa Mangum
A smart, rigorously researched and fascinating book that will be a rich contribution to Victorian Studies, sexuality and gender studies, and history of science scholarship.
British Society for Literature and Science Reviews
Frederickson engages fluidly with a wide range of literary forms, figures, and locales throughout The Ploy of Instinct . In so doing, her work provides a dynamic spectrum of thought around the implications of biological modelling for labour-, sex-, and ethnicity-oriented conceptualizations of liberal governance, both within and well beyond the Victorian era.
Victorian Studies
…this is a very inspiring, well-researched, and methodically advanced study that everyone interested in the theory and history of instinct, as well as related concepts, ought to consult.
Isis Review
The Ploy of Instinct makes a substantial contribution to the history of the natural and sexual sciences and is of significant interest to researchers working on the history of sexuality, gender, and politics.
From the Publisher
"A smart, rigorously researched and fascinating book that will be a rich contribution to Victorian Studies, sexuality and gender studies, and history of science scholarship." -Teresa Mangum, University of Iowa
"The Ploy of Instinct makes a substantial contribution to the history of the natural and sexual sciences and is of significant interest to researchers working on the history of sexuality, gender, and politics."-Isis Review
"...this is a very inspiring, well-researched, and methodically advanced study that everyone interested in the theory and history of instinct, as well as related concepts, ought to consult."—Victorian Studies
"Frederickson engages fluidly with a wide range of literary forms, figures, and locales throughout The Ploy of Instinct. In so doing, her work provides a dynamic spectrum of thought around the implications of biological modelling for labour-, sex-, and ethnicity-oriented conceptualizations of liberal governance, both within and well beyond the Victorian era."—British Society for Literature and Science Reviews
