Can atheists be virtuous? The moral philosophy of Catharine Trotter Cockburn

05/12/2025 41 min
Can atheists be virtuous? The moral philosophy of Catharine Trotter Cockburn

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Episode Synopsis


Catharine Trotter Cockburn (1679-1749) is best known as a contemporary and defender of John Locke - but she was also a fascinating philosopher in her own right. Writing at a time when secular philosophy was beginning to challenge the Christian religious monopoly on moral authority, Cockburn was a devout Anglican - and, for a time, a devout Catholic - who nevertheless believed that virtue could be attained via reason.