Unto This Last

Originally published in “Cornhill” magazine in 1860, “Unto This Last” is a series of four essays on the politics of economics and capitalism by the prominent English art critic of the Victorian era John Ruskin. While Ruskin was most well-known for his writings on art, he was also an accomplished painter and an influential social philosopher and philanthropist. Considered by Ruskin himself as one of his most important works, the ideas introduced in “Unto This Last” were met with great controversy when they first appeared in “Cornhill” magazine. Ruskin argues that economics, art, and science must all have a fundamental foundation in morality. When morality is applied to capitalism, Ruskin finds this economic system sorely lacking and argues instead that all workers deserve a living wage. He also contends that the modern industrial age has had devastating effects on the natural world that must not been overlooked. “Unto This Last” was profoundly influential on many modern social movements and helped shape the economic and political ideas of Mahatma Gandhi. Ruskin, who cannot be strictly labeled as a liberal or conservative in his political ideology, crafts a thought-provoking exposition of the problems with capitalism and industrialization that is as relevant today as when it was first written. This edition includes a biographical afterword.