Essays on Professional Education

The scientist Richard Lovell Edgeworth (17441817) educated at Trinity College Dublin and Oxford was known for his significant mechanical inventions. He was a Member of the Lunar Society of Birmingham where he exchanged ideas with other scientists including James Watt. However Edgeworth was also greatly interested in education: drawing on his own experiences of raising twenty children (by his four wives) in 1788 he published with his daughter the poet Maria Edgeworth his famous two-volume Practical Education (also reissued in this series). The work was very influential and led to this book published in 1809 a series of essays on professional education (again written in co-operation with Maria) dealing with the nature of different occupations in a state. He discusses education for the professions including the Church the Army and the Law but also refers to the education of statesmen gentlemen and even princes.