ABSTRACT
Manley'sTheNewAtalantisaddsagendertwisttothedebateaboutthe relationshipbetweenthestateofnatureandthenatureofthestate.Hereisa worldinwhichself-interestisrife-muchtothedetrimentofthefemale sex,forwhomthepoliticsofself-interestcanbeparticularlydangerous terraintonegotiate,andthediscourseofsovereigntyatbestambivalent abouttheirclaims.Womenhavemuchmoretolosethanmeniftheir reputationisevercalledintoquestion,andhaveeveryreasontodoubtthe moralprobityofthemalesexingeneral,forwhomseductionisjustone largegameseeminglydevoidofmoralcontent.Sexualdoublestandards manifestlyapplyinManley'sworld:'Menmayregaintheirreputations, thoughafteracomplicationofvices-cowardice,robbery,adultery,bribery andmurder-butawoman,oncedepartedfromtheroadofvirtue,ismade incapableofareturn'.1Althoughmorallyloosewomendofeaturein Manley'sworld,menareclearlytheworstoffenders,withtheauthorattractingmuchrecentfeministinterestinherworkinconsequence.TheNew Atalantiscertainlyqualifiesasanindictmentofmasculineethics:whena certainpublicfigureisrevealedtohavea'contemptofself-interest',that aloneisenoughtoturnhimintoawonderoftheworld.2
