Memoirs of a Certain Island Adjacent to the Kingdom of Utopia

Eliza Fowler Haywood (c. 1693-1756) was a prolific writer, actress, a widely connected scholar, a critical philosopher, and economist. Her contributions to moral philosophy and economics provide a clear view of early 18th century English society. The second volume of the philosopher and economist’s Memoirs… focuses more closely on the political, strategical failures of the English ministries as mediators between the Sovereign and the people, examining the accompanying decadence and moral decline of the English population. At the core lies Haywood’s observation that women are the first to suffer from the consequences of societal and financial crises. 300 years after its first publication in 1724, this comprehensive edition of Eliza Haywood’s Memoirs of a Certain Island Adjacent to the Kingdom of Utopia makes accessible a fundamental utopian text. Illustrating the threat of moral decline in financial crises, Haywood’s sharp critique of a government ignoring the needs of its own people remains compelling today.