ABSTRACT
This chapter reveals the ways in which Murdoch intended her novels to provide practical, workable moral benefit for her readers. It illustrates the impact of Murdoch’s great kindness on the lives of her colleagues, friends and all those who knew her, and how this generosity of spirit is illustrated in her letters to fans and admirers to whom she unfailingly gave her time and support. The dangers of hagiography and the correctives to such views are acknowledged and followed by a searching exploration of how Murdoch’s novels engage with common, emotional challenges that affect all human lives. The various messages that Murdoch’s novels beam out to the planet are explored, how they encourage inner change in her readers and are enacted in her novels. Finally, Iris Murdoch’s legacy to the twenty-first century is acclaimed, as are the various ways moral philosophers and literary critics suggest that Murdoch’s moral philosophy is as relevant today as it was in the years it was written: to Iris Murdoch scholars, to her readers, and to the writer of this chapter herself.
