First Edition. “The Enquirer. Reflections on Education, Manners, and Literature” is a series of essays written by English political philosopher William Godwin and published in 1797. Included in this volume are the essays: “Of Public and Private Education,” “Of Cohabitation,” “Of Riches and Poverty,” “Of Beggars,” and “Of Learning,” among others.

The first part of the work is on education and childrearing, with much of the content coming from discussions Godwin had with Mary Wollstonecraft. The work as a whole was highly influential on the intellectuals of the age, including Thomas Malthus.