A.M. Ludovici’s <i>Lysistrata, or Woman’s Future and Future Woman</i> is published in the <i>To-day and To-morrow</i> Series

A.M. Ludovici’s Lysistrata, or Woman’s Future and Future Woman is published in the To-day and To-morrow Series

1925. The To-day and To-morrow book series, inaugurated in 1923 with the initial contribution by J.B.S. Haldane, Daedalus, or Science and the Future (1923), had already published ten volumes before turning to the controversial topic of women to-day and their role(s) in the progressive future of to-morrow. The first of two volumes in 1925 on this theme was Lysistrata, by prolific author and translator Anthony M. Ludovici (1882 – 1971). It was soon followed by series-partner: Hypatia, or Woman and Knowledge, by Dora Russell (1894 – 1986), the first female author in the series and second wife of Icarus (1924) author and noted philosopher Bertrand Russell – see entries on this website on these works. Women’s issues and their societal roles was a perennial problem in the male-dominated eugenics movement from the outset, but eugenics naturally attracted the involvement of many women and women’s organizations. These themes and female players have been extensively revisited by scholars in the post-modern era. This specific pairing is typical of several seminal issues related to eugenics in the series and their coverage from different perspectives. See Lysistrata title-page in the accompanying image.

Ludovici was already an accomplished linguist, philosopher and author, as noted on the title-page, and was a renowned scholar of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), translating many of his works for English audiences. He served as an officer in the Royal artillery and military intelligence during World War I, and was awarded the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) for his service. Already an entrenched Conservative, Ludovici’s A Defense of Aristocracy: A Textbook for Tories (1915) established his political loyalty with the Imperial elite, and this standpoint was to sharpen after the war, as a reaction to the resurgence of participatory democracy and the increasingly strident demands of feminists, socialists and other interest groups pressing for more political power in the weakened post-War Empire. Ludovici was also peripherally involved in the British eugenics movement, publishing many articles and several books on eugenically-tinged issues, in addition to Lysistrata.

-Michael Kohlman

  • Blacker, C.P. (1926). Birth control and the State. London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Trubner.

  • Ferreira, A. (2009). The sexual politics of ectogenesis in the to-day and to-morrow series. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, 34(1), 32–55.

  • Godwin, G.S. (1928). Columbia, or the future of Canada. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co.

  • Haire, N. (1928). Hymen, or the future of marriage. London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Trubner.

  • Haldane, J.B.S. (1923). Daedalus, or science and the future. London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Trubner.

  • Ludovici, A.M. (1915). A defense of aristocracy: A textbook for Tories. London: Constable.

  • Ludovici, A.M. (1925). Lysistrata, or womans future and the future woman. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co.

  • Russell, B. (1924). Icarus, or the future of science. New York: E.P. Dutton & Company.

  • Russell, D. (1925). Hypatia, or woman and knowledge. London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Trubner.

  • Schiller, F.C.S. (1924). Tantalus, or the future of man. London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Trubner.

  • Schiller, F.C.S. (1925). Review of Lysistrata. The Eugenics Review, 17(2), 112-113.

  • Schiller, F.C.S. (1926). Cassandra, or the future of the British Empire. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co.

  • Schraner, E. (2009). The to-day and to-morrow series. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, 34(1), 107-115.

A.M. Ludovici’s <i>Lysistrata, or Woman’s Future and Future Woman</i> is published in the <i>To-day and To-morrow</i> Series

A.M. Ludovici’s Lysistrata, or Woman’s Future and Future Woman is published in the To-day and To-morrow Series

1925. The To-day and To-morrow book series, inaugurated in 1923 with the initial contribution by J.B.S. Haldane, Daedalus, or Science and the Future (1923), had already published ten volumes before turning to the controversial topic of women to-day and their role(s) in the progressive future of to-morrow. The first of two volumes in 1925 on this theme was Lysistrata, by prolific author and translator Anthony M. Ludovici (1882 – 1971). It was soon followed by series-partner: Hypatia, or Woman and Knowledge, by Dora Russell (1894 – 1986), the first female author in the series and second wife of Icarus (1924) author and noted philosopher Bertrand Russell – see entries on this website on these works. Women’s issues and their societal roles was a perennial problem in the male-dominated eugenics movement from the outset, but eugenics naturally attracted the involvement of many women and women’s organizations. These themes and female players have been extensively revisited by scholars in the post-modern era. This specific pairing is typical of several seminal issues related to eugenics in the series and their coverage from different perspectives. See Lysistrata title-page in the accompanying image.

Ludovici was already an accomplished linguist, philosopher and author, as noted on the title-page, and was a renowned scholar of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), translating many of his works for English audiences. He served as an officer in the Royal artillery and military intelligence during World War I, and was awarded the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) for his service. Already an entrenched Conservative, Ludovici’s A Defense of Aristocracy: A Textbook for Tories (1915) established his political loyalty with the Imperial elite, and this standpoint was to sharpen after the war, as a reaction to the resurgence of participatory democracy and the increasingly strident demands of feminists, socialists and other interest groups pressing for more political power in the weakened post-War Empire. Ludovici was also peripherally involved in the British eugenics movement, publishing many articles and several books on eugenically-tinged issues, in addition to Lysistrata.

-Michael Kohlman

  • Blacker, C.P. (1926). Birth control and the State. London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Trubner.

  • Ferreira, A. (2009). The sexual politics of ectogenesis in the to-day and to-morrow series. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, 34(1), 32–55.

  • Godwin, G.S. (1928). Columbia, or the future of Canada. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co.

  • Haire, N. (1928). Hymen, or the future of marriage. London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Trubner.

  • Haldane, J.B.S. (1923). Daedalus, or science and the future. London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Trubner.

  • Ludovici, A.M. (1915). A defense of aristocracy: A textbook for Tories. London: Constable.

  • Ludovici, A.M. (1925). Lysistrata, or womans future and the future woman. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co.

  • Russell, B. (1924). Icarus, or the future of science. New York: E.P. Dutton & Company.

  • Russell, D. (1925). Hypatia, or woman and knowledge. London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Trubner.

  • Schiller, F.C.S. (1924). Tantalus, or the future of man. London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Trubner.

  • Schiller, F.C.S. (1925). Review of Lysistrata. The Eugenics Review, 17(2), 112-113.

  • Schiller, F.C.S. (1926). Cassandra, or the future of the British Empire. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co.

  • Schraner, E. (2009). The to-day and to-morrow series. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, 34(1), 107-115.