Inconceivable Conceptions

It is over two decades since the first test-tube baby was born. During this period a new belief that all infertile women can now have babies has become widely accepted; indeed, infertile couples may feel great pressure to seek a medical solution. However, the psychological and social effects of the changing experiences of infertility remain confusing, both for those who experience infertility and for wider society. In this book, a distinguished range of contributors, including novelist Hilary Mantel and Germaine Greer, examine the experience of infertility from both male and female perspectives, the psychological aspects of infertility diagnosis and treatment, and the often radical and unexpected effects on kinship. Drawing from a wide range of theoretical backgrounds including Jungian, analytical, and compelling personal reflections, this book aims to unravel the implications of advancing reproductive technology for our understanding of ourselves and our families.

Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) was regarded by the Victorians as the foremost philosopher of the age, the prophet of evolution at a time when the idea had gripped the popular imagination. Until recently Spencer's posthumous reputation rested almost excusively on his social and political thought, which has itself frequently been subject to serious misrepresentation. But historians of ideas now recognise that an acquaintance with Spencer's thought is essential for the proper understanding of many aspects of Victorian intellectual life, and the present selection is designed to answer this need. It provides a cross-section of Spencer's works from his more popular and approachable essays to a number of the volumes of the Synthetic Philosophy itself. This is Volume II.