Animal ethics and vivisection in the philosophy of Anna Kingsford

Anna Kingsford (1846-1888) was a prominent Victorian intellectual engaged in debates surrounding vivisection, but is rarely, if ever, recognized as a philosopher. This article seeks to change that. First, it situates Kingsford within efforts to recover nineteenth-century women philosophers. Then, it examines the development of Kingsford’s philosophically interesting arguments concerning vivisection, showing their eclecticism. It explores how Kingsford’s ethical ideas are connected to her epistemological critique of vivisection and how both of these arguments are grounded within a metaphysical foundation. The article ultimately claims that Kingsford ought to be taken seriously as an original and systematic philosopher.