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Ralph Cudworth (1617 – 26 June 1688) was an English philosopher, the leader of the Cambridge Platonists. ==Life== Born at Aller, Somerset, he was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, gaining his MA and becoming a Fellow of Emmanuel in 1639. In 1645, he became master of Clare Hall and professor of Hebrew. In 1654, he transferred to Christ's College, Cambridge, and was master there until his death. His great work, entitled ''The True Intellectual System of the Universe'', was published in 1678. He was a leading opponent of Thomas Hobbes. His father Dr. Ralph Cudworth, a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, was presented to the rectory of Aller, Somerset by his college, which held the advowson,〔R.W. Dunning (ed.), 'Parishes: Aller ', A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 3 (1974), pp. 61-71. (read here ).〕 in c.1609 or 1610.〔Given as 30 August 1610 according to (Clergy of the Church of England Database ).〕 On 18 June 1611 at Southwark〔Marriage register of St Mary Newington, Southwark, June 1611, 'Rodolph' Cudworth ministr, married to Mrs Mari Machell ye xviii day by lisence'.〕 he married Mary Machell of Hackney (who had been a nurse to Prince Henry the son of James I)〔Edward Bellasis (Lancaster Herald), "The Machells of Crackenthorpe," ''Trans. Cumberland and Westmorland Antiqu. and Arch. Soc.'', (Kendall 1886), 416-66, Chart 2. See A. Chalmers (Ed.), 'Cudworth' article, in ''General Biographical Dictionary'' (Revised and Enlarged edition), 1813, Vol. XI, pp. 104-111, at p. 105; 'Inquiries after Samuel Jones' in Original Communications, ''Gentleman's Magazine'', Vol XCVIII Part 1, p. 388 (May 1828). The nursing of Prince Henry is mentioned in (Thomas Birch's ''Account'' (by 1744) ), which cites Mosheim's (1733) preface as authority for it (J.L. Mosheim, ''Radulphi Cudworthi systema intellectualis hujus universi'', 2 Vols (Jena 1733), reprinted Leiden 1773).〕 and their children were christened at Aller〔Aller was reputedly the place where King Guthrum was baptized at the instigation of King Alfred the Great: see 'Parishes: Aller' cited above.〕 over the following decade. Dr. Cudworth died in 1624 when young Ralph was about 7, and his mother then married John Stoughton, who succeeded Dr. Cudworth as rector of Aller until 1632 and gave the boy a good home education. Ralph was sent to his father's college, was elected Fellow in 1639 and became a successful tutor. In 1642 he published ''A Discourse concerning the true Notion of the Lord's Supper'' and a tract entitled ''The Union of Christ and the Church''. In 1645 he was appointed master of Clare Hall and the same year was elected Regius professor of Hebrew. He was now recognized as a leader among the remarkable group known as the Cambridge Platonists. The whole party was more or less in sympathy with the Commonwealth, and Cudworth was consulted by John Thurloe, Cromwell's secretary to the council of state, in regard to university and government appointments. In 1650 he was presented to the college living of North Cadbury, Somerset. From the diary of his friend John Worthington we learn that Cudworth was nearly compelled, through poverty, to leave the university, but in 1654 he was elected master of Christ's College, whereupon he married. At the Restoration he retained the mastership of his college. In 1662 he was presented to the rectory of Ashwell, Herts, by the Bishop of London, Dr Gilbert Sheldon. In 1665 he almost quarrelled with his fellow-Platonist, Henry More, because the latter had written an ethical work which Cudworth feared would interfere with his own long-contemplated treatise on the same subject. To avoid clashing, More brought out his book, the ''Enchiridion ethicum'', in Latin; Cudworth's never appeared. Cudworth was installed prebendary of Gloucester in 1678. He died on 26 June 1688, and was buried in the chapel of Christ's. His only surviving child, Damaris, a devout and talented woman, became the second wife of Sir Francis Masham. The Lady Masham was distinguished as the friend of John Locke and exchanged letters with Gottfried Leibniz. His brother James Cudworth migrated to New England in 1634 and initially settled at Scituate, Massachusetts where he was an Assistant Governor of Massachusetts and a Commissioner of the United Colonies.〔''(Scituate Historical Society'' )''〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ralph Cudworth」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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