Spooner (Lysander), American writer, b. Athol (Mass.), 19 Jan. 1808. His first pamphlet was A Deist’s Reply to the alleged Supernatural Evidences of Christianity. He started letter-carrying from Boston to New York, but was overwhelmed with prosecutions. He published many works against slavery, and in favor of Individualism. Died at Boston, 14 May, 1887.
Stabili (Francesco), see [Cecco’ d’Ascoli].
Stamm (August Theodor), German Humanist, wrote The Religion of Action, translated into English, 1860. After the events of ’48, he came to England, went to America, Aug. ’54.
Standring (George), English lecturer and writer, b. 18 Oct. 1855, was for some years chorister at a Ritualistic Church, but discarded theology after independent inquiry in ’73. He became hon. sec. of the National Secular Society about ’75, resigning on appointment of paid sec., was auditor and subsequently vice-president. Started Republican Chronicle, April, 1875, this was afterwards called The Republican, and in Sept. ’88 The Radical. He is sec. of the London Secular Federation, and has contributed to the National Reformer, Freethinker, Progress, Our Corner, Reynolds’s and Pall Mall Gazette. His brother, Sam., b. 27 July, 1853, is also an active Freethinker.
Stanley (F. Lloyd), American author of An Outline of the Future Religion of the World (New York and London, 1884), a Deistic work in which he criticises preceding religions.
Stanton (Elizabeth, née Cady), American reformer, b. Johnstone, New York, 12 Nov. 1815. A friend of Ernestine Rose and Lucretia Mott, she was associated with them in the Anti-Slavery and the Woman’s Rights crusades, of which last the first convention was held at her home in Seneca Falls, July ’48. She edited with her friends, Susan Anthony and Parker Pilsbury, The Revolution, and is joint author of History of Woman’s Suffrage (’80–86). She has written in the North American Review notably on “Has Christianity Benefited Woman,” May, 1885.
Stap (A.), author of Historic Studies on the origins of Christianity. Bruxelles, 1864, and The Immaculate Conception, 1869.
Starcke (Carl Nicolay), Dr. and teacher of philosophy in the University of Copenhagen, b. 29 March, 1858. A decided disciple of Feuerbach on whom he published a dissertation in ’83. This able Monograph on the whole doctrine of the German philosopher was in ’85, published in a German edition. Prof. Starcke has since published in the “International Scientific Series,” a work on The Primitive Family, in which he critically surveys the views of Lubbock, Maine, McLennan, etc. He is now engaged on a work on Ethics based on the doctrines of Ludwig Feuerbach.
Stecchetti (Lorenzo). See [Guerrini (O.)]
Stefanoni (Luigi). Italian writer and publicist, b. Milan, 1842. In ’59, his first Romance, The Spanish in Italy was suppressed by the Austrians. He joined Garibaldi’s volunteers and contributed to Unita Italiana. In ’66, he founded at Milan the Society of Freethinkers and the organ Il Libero Pensiero, in which he wrote A critical History of Superstition, afterwards published separately 2 vols. ’69. He also compiled a Philosophical Dictionary, ’73–75; and wrote several romances as L’Inferno, The Red and Black of Rome, etc. He translated Büchner’s Force and Matter, Morin’s Jesus réduit, La Mettrie’s Man-machine, Letourneau’s Physiology of the Passions, and Feuerbach’s Essence of Religion.