Originally published in 1926, this volume is much more than a biography of an outstanding politician, social reformer and philosopher. It provides an analysis of the history of social conditions in England during the nineteenth century, as well as a discussion of the development of social affairs and the inertia of political psychology. The role that faith and religion played in motivating Lord Shaftesbury's desire for social reform is also discussed as is the ways in which he and John Wesley transformed the social and ethical ideas of England to enshrine in law many of the working conditions that we take for granted today such as defined hours of work and rest periods.