Catharine Trotter Cockburn
English novelist, dramatist, philosopher
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Why Is Catharine Trotter Cockburn Influential?
(Suggest an Edit or Addition)According to Wikipedia, Catharine Trotter Cockburn was an English novelist, dramatist and philosopher who wrote on various subjects, including moral philosophy and theology, and maintained a prolific correspondence. Trotter's writings encompass a wide range of topics, such as necessity, the infinitude of space and substance. However, her primary focus was on moral issues. She believed that moral principles were not inherent but could be discovered by each individual through the use of reason, a faculty bestowed by God. In 1702, she published her first significant philosophical work, titled "A Defence of Mr. Lock's [sic.] An Essay Concerning Human Understanding." This defence received praise from John Locke, who expressed his appreciation by providing financial support and books to Trotter through Elizabeth Burnet, the intermediary who first acquainted Locke with Trotter's "Defence."
