Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881)
Author of The French Revolution: A History
About the Author
Thomas Carlyle was a social critic and historian born in Ecclefechan, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, December 4, 1795, the same year as John Keats, but Carlyle is considered an early Victorian rather than a Romantic. After completing his elementary studies, he went to the University of Edinburgh but left show more in 1814 without a degree. His parents wanted him to become a minister in the Scottish church, but his independence of spirit made such a life program impossible. In 1816 he fell in love with, and was rejected by, a young woman. His love affair was followed by a period of doubt and uncertainty described vividly in Sartor Resartus, a work published in 1833 that attracted much attention. Carlyle's first literary work reveals his admiration for German thought and philosophy, and especially for the two great German poets Schiller and Goethe. The fictional autobiography of a philosopher deeply impressed Ralph Waldo Emerson who brought it back to the United States to be published there. History of the French Revolution (1837), rewritten after parts of it were mistakenly burned as kindling by John Stuart Mill, cemented Carlyle's reputation. The work brought him fame but no great wealth. As a result of his comparative poverty he was induced to give four series of public lectures. Of these the most famous were those On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic of History delivered in 1840 and published in 1841. Past and Present (1843), and Latter Day Pamphlets (1850) present his economic and industrial theories. With The Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell (1845), The Life of John Sterling (1851), and History of Frederick II of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great (1858-1865) he returned to biography. In 1865, Carlyle was made Lord Rector of Edinburgh. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
1) CK Above
2) Erik Bruun actually wrote Test Your History IQ
Smelfungus is a name given by Laurence Sterne to Tobias Smollett as author of a volume of Travels through France and Italy, for the snarling abuse he heaps on the institutions and customs of the countries he visited.
In the 19th century it was adopted by Thomas Carlyle as a pen-name when he had any seriously severe criticisms to offer on things, particularly those that have gone or are going to the bad. Patrick Proctor Alexander also used the name in his book Mill and Carlyle, which contrasted Carlyle's views with those of John Stuart Mill. Proctor's Occasional Discourse on Sauertieg by Smelfungus attacks Carlyle's more brutal ideas.
Image credit: Helmolt, H.F., ed. History of the World. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1902.
Series
Works by Thomas Carlyle
Autobiography; Essay on Liberty; Characteristics; Inaugural Address; Essay on Scott (2004) — Contributor — 240 copies
Sartor Resartus, and On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History (1934) 213 copies, 2 reviews
Thomas Carlyle's Collected works 32 copies
Essays on Goethe 9 copies
Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches, with Elucidations by Thomas Carlyle: Volume 2 (1999) 8 copies
Historical Essays (The Norman and Charlotte Strouse Edition of the Writings of Thomas Carlyle) (2002) 7 copies
Characteristics / Inaugural Address / Essay on Scott, In the Complete Harvard Classics Collection, Volume 25 (KINDLE) (2008) 7 copies
Samuel Johnson 7 copies
life of oliver cromwell oliver cromwell's letters and speeches with elucidations (a library of universal literature in f (2002) 5 copies
Signs of the Times 5 copies
Historical Sketches of Notable Persons and Events in the Reigns of James I. and Charles I (1898) 4 copies
Critical and Miscellaneous Essays: Collected and Republished (First Time, 1839; Final, 1869) Vol. 2 (1900) 4 copies
Carlyle's Complete Works, Illustrated: Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches, with Elucidations. Volume I (1902) 4 copies
History of Friedrich II of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, Vol. 1 (Classic Reprint) (2010) 4 copies
History of Friedrich II of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, Vol. 2 (Classic Reprint) (2006) 4 copies
German romance: translations from the German, with biographical and critical notices, Vol. II (1898) 3 copies
The Works of Thomas Carlyle History of Friedrich the Second Called Frederick the Great Volume Two (1897) 3 copies, 1 review
Critical and Miscellaneous Essays: Collected and Republished (First Time, 1839; Final, 1869) Vol. 1 3 copies
Critical and Miscellaneous Essays: Collected and Republished (First Time, 1839; Final, 1869) Vol. 4 3 copies
Carlyle's complete works Volume 17 3 copies
Inaugural Address at Edinburgh 3 copies
Essays on Politics and Society (Volume 6) (The Norman and Charlotte Strouse Edition of the Writings of Thomas Carlyle) (2022) 3 copies
The Carlyle anthology 3 copies
Collected Works of Thomas Carlyle 3 copies
Critical and Miscellaneous Essays: Collected and Republished (First Time, 1839; Final, 1869) Vol. 3 3 copies
Essays on Literature (Volume 5) (The Norman and Charlotte Strouse Edition of the Writings of Thomas Carlyle) (2020) 3 copies
Elected Essays 2 copies
Un auténtico fantasma 2 copies
Carlyle's works 2 copies
Essays on German Literature and Culture, Part I (The Norman and Charlotte Strouse Edition of the Writings of Thomas Carlyle) (2024) 2 copies
Oliver Cromwell's Letters & Speeches With Elucidations By Thomas Carlyle. (With An Introduction By William a. Shaw.) (Everyman's Library.) (1908) 2 copies
History of Friedrich the Second, Called Frederick the Great (Volume One), from the Works of Thomas Carlyle (1897) 2 copies
Miscellaneous Essays 2 copies
Dante e Shakespeare 2 copies
Critical and Miscellaneous Essays: Collected and Republished (First Time, 1839; Final, 1869) Vol. 5 2 copies
Critical and Miscellaneous Essays Collected and Republished (First Time,1839; Final, 1869) Volume III (1888) 2 copies
Critical and Miscellaneous Essays: Collected and Republished (First Time, 1839; Final, 1869) Vol. 6 2 copies
Worte Carlyles 2 copies
Critical and Miscellaneous Essays: Collected and Republished (First Time, 1839; Final, 1869) Vol. 7 2 copies
Autobiography 2 copies
On Heroes 2 copies
Wilhelm Meister (3 vols.) 2 copies
LOS HÉROES 2 copies
CRITICAL AND MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS. THE EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY ETC: EIGHT VOLUMES IN THREE. (1903) 2 copies
Sir Walter Scott 2 copies
Essays on Burns and Scott 2 copies
Critical and Miscellaneous Essays II (The Works of Thomas Carlyle - Volumes 3 & 4 of the Popular edition) (1999) 2 copies
Os heróis 1 copy
Thomas Carlyle Classics Collection: Sartor Resartus, The French Revolution, On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History (2022) 1 copy
Carlyle 1 copy
"The Sacredness Of Work" 1 copy
Den franske revolution 1-3 1 copy
Reminiscences , Vol II 1 copy
Reminiscences , Vol I 1 copy
El Dictador de Francia 1 copy
Jesuitism 1 copy
La rivoluzione francese 1 copy
Pagine scelte 1 copy
French Revolution Vol. III 1 copy
The Works of Thomas Carlyle (Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches with Elucidations (Volume 7)) (1897) 1 copy
Carlyle’s Works - 6 Volumes 1 copy
Carlyle's Choice Works 1 copy
Muhammad The Hero as Prophet 1 copy
Wilhelm Meister's Travels 1 copy
Οι Ήρωες 1 copy
Kahramanlar 1 copy
Goethe's Faust 1 copy
The French Rvolution vol 2-3 1 copy
History of Charles XII, King of Sweden, (along with "The Life of M. de Voltaire" by Thomas Carlyle) 1 copy
John Knox 1 copy
Tre i Norge ved to av dem 1 copy
Essays on German literature 1 copy
History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia Frederick The Great-Complete Table of Contents: 22 Volumes (2012) 1 copy
The reign of terror 1 copy
Essays on German Literature and Culture, Part II (The Norman and Charlotte Strouse Edition of the Writings of Thomas Carlyle) (2024) 1 copy
Last words of Thomas Carlyle 1 copy
Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country, Vol. 53: January to June, 1856 (Classic Reprint) (2018) 1 copy
Lectures on Heroes 1 copy
THOMAS CARLYLE: SELECTIONS 1 copy
Essays (Everyman's Library) 1 copy
Heroes past and present 1 copy
German Romance : Specimens of its Chief Authors, with Biographical and Critical Notices (Vol IV) 1 copy
2: The Works of Thomas Carlyle (Cambridge Library Collection - The Works of Carlyle) (Volume 2) (2010) 1 copy
Essays on Burns, Scott and Johnson. Edited with marginalia and notes by Henry Williams (Temple Classics.) (1904) 1 copy
The Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle, Vol. 37: October 1860- October 1861 (2007) 1 copy
Frederick The Great I-II 1 copy
Oliver Cromwell I-II 1 copy
Frederick The Great V-VI 1 copy
Frederick The Great III-IV 1 copy
The Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle, Vol. 39: Decembeer 1862- December 1863 (2011) 1 copy
Carlyle's Works. Last Words. 1 copy
History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia - Frederick The Great-Complete Table of Contents: 22 Volumes (2010) 1 copy
Frederick the Great Vol 1 1 copy
Critical and Miscellaneous Essays : Collected and Republished : In Four Volumes, Vol. II (1890) 1 copy
The Works of Thomas Carlyle, History of Friedrich the Second Called Frederick the Great (Volume 5) 1 copy
The Works of Thomas Carlyle in 30 Vols, Vol. V: Heroes and Hero-Worship, in One Volume (2016) 1 copy
The Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle: Vol. 4: 1826-28 (Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carl (1970) 1 copy
Critical and Miscellaneous Essays; Collected and Republished (First time, 1839; Final., 1869) Vol.I, In Seven Volumes. 1 copy, 1 review
History of Friedrich II. of Prussia: Called Frederick the Great, Volumes 4- Primary Source Edition (2013) 1 copy
The Life of Samuel Johnson 1 copy
History of Fredrich II of Prussia, called Frederrick the Great in 10 volumes (incomplete set) 1 copy
The Pocket Carlyle 1 copy
Selections 1 copy
THE WORKS OF THOMAS CARLYLE " Sartor Resartus, Past and Present, the Diamond Necklass Mirabeau" (1885) 1 copy
Sartor Restartus 1 copy
Associated Works
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 4th Edition, Volume 2 (1979) — Contributor — 269 copies, 1 review
Voices of the Industrial Revolution: Selected Readings from the Liberal Economists and Their Critics (1961) — Contributor — 50 copies
Out of the Best Books: An Anthology of Literature, Vol. 2: Love, Marriage, and the Family (1966) — Contributor — 36 copies
Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre Fünftes bis achtes Buch (Deutsche Klassiker Bibliothek der literarischen Meisterwerke) (1796) — Translator, some editions — 23 copies
Grolier Classics: Les Miserables, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, French Revolution, Divine Comedy (1956) 19 copies
Oogst Der Tijden. keur uit de werken van schrijvers en dichters aller volken en eeuwen (1940) — Contributor — 12 copies
Die englische Literatur 08 in Text und Darstellung. 19. Jahrhundert 2 (1982) — Contributor — 5 copies
Wilhelm Meisters Wanderjahre - Band 1 (German Edition) (2011) — Translator, some editions — 5 copies
Stories by Musaus and Fouque (Studies in German Literature, Linguistics, and Culture) (Vol 1) (1991) — Translator, some editions — 2 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Carlyle, Thomas
- Birthdate
- 1795-12-04
- Date of death
- 1881-02-05
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Annan Academy
University of Edinburgh (MA|1813) - Occupations
- rector
translator
essayist
historian
philosopher - Awards and honors
- Pour le Mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste (1874)
American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Foreign Honorary Member, 1878) - Relationships
- Carlyle, Jane Welsh (wife)
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Ecclefechan, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, UK
- Places of residence
- Annan, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, UK
Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, UK
Craigenputtock, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, UK
London, Middlesex, England, UK - Place of death
- Chelsea, London, Middlesex, England, UK
- Burial location
- Hoddam Kirkyard, Ecclefechan, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
- Map Location
- Scotland, UK
- Disambiguation notice
- 1) CK Above
2) Erik Bruun actually wrote Test Your History IQ
Smelfungus is a name given by Laurence Sterne to Tobias Smollett as author of a volume of Travels through France and Italy, for the snarling abuse he heaps on the institutions and customs of the countries he visited.
In the 19th century it was adopted by Thomas Carlyle as a pen-name when he had any seriously severe criticisms to offer on things, particularly those that have gone or are going to the bad. Patrick Proctor Alexander also used the name in his book Mill and Carlyle, which contrasted Carlyle's views with those of John Stuart Mill. Proctor's Occasional Discourse on Sauertieg by Smelfungus attacks Carlyle's more brutal ideas.
Members
Reviews
Perhaps the most remarkable thing to note about Carlyle's masterpiece is that he had to rewrite from scratch the first volume of the work after the only copy he had was accidentally lost in a fire at the home of John Stuart Mill with whom he had left the copy for his review and comment. Carlyle is famous for his idiosyncratic style which is demanding and captivating. His politics were not that easy to get a fix on. He is frequently described as a Tory Radical or radical conservative. He is show more one of the few modern writers who subscribe to what is referred to as the "Great Man" theory of history, but he is also clearly influenced by German Idealism and subscribes to a philosophy of history that is based on the notion of a spirit of the times and the progress of ideas and movements that is inexorable.
In his history of the French Revolution, Carlyle covers the period from the latter stages of the rule of Louis XV through the famous "Whiff of Grapeshot" employed by Napoleon Bonaparte to quell the uprising of the Jacobins against the National Convention in the aftermath of the downfall of Robespierre and his associates. This is about as close to a day to day or play by play of the events of the revolution as you are likely to encounter. It bears no resemblance to the typical academic history of the revolution, much less the typical textbook treatment of this world historical event. In Carlyle's retelling which was published a mere twenty-two years after the Battle of Waterloo you are introduced to what seems like the proverbial "cast of thousands". Anyone who was anyone appears on Carlyle's stage and his or her role is accounted for and judged according to his influence and merit. On the whole Carlyle is, if not on the side of, definitely sympathetic to the Revolution. The historicist in him seems to require that he pronounce in favor of what is, because it was, a movement, a spirit, an energy whose time had come and was accordingly irresistible. There is no sympathy expressed for the institutions and actors of the ancien regime, although one does detect a certain admiration for the character of Marie Antoinette. Louis XVI, on the other hand, is doomed by the circumstances he is unequipped to deal with and a Hamlet like inability to make up his mind to follow through on a plan of action. He is reduced to a passive, hope for the best, response at every major turning point where a different course of action might have salvaged his situation.
Carlyle takes a harsh attitude toward the nobility and the clergy. He frequently employs the epithets Jesuitical and Jesuitism to criticize anyone of either a royalist or moderate republican bent. He is dismissive of the emigres, approves of the abolition of feudalism. His sympathies are with what he constantly refers to as the 'twenty-five millions", i.e., the population of France suffering from the want of basic means of subsistence, not just political oppression. I was a little surprised at the harsh assessment of the Girondins who are dismissed along with their "Formulas" a term Carlyle employs to indicate his contempt for political theory as opposed to what in other contexts you might call will to power. He seems to approve of the winning side because it is the winning side and therefore deserved to win. He only criticizes the extreme left of the Jacobins after they have completely wiped out their political opposition and committed themselves to a kind of permanent revolution in the manner of their totalitarian admirers and successors in the 20th century.
Carlyle's prose is difficult albeit elegant. It is as if Shakespeare decided to write a 700-page history instead of a five-act play. If you want to fully follow the story it is really valuable to keep your access to the Internet handy to look up all of the characters he introduces who were significant players if only for a brief time in this drama. Also, the text is replete with references to Greek mythology, ancient and medieval history, and the Bible. I found myself constantly pausing to do a search on my cell phone. Sometimes it is necessary to look up a proper name to understand if he refers to a person or a place. And his vocabulary is as challenging as his literary and historical store of knowledge.
I need to mention by way of a recommendation some benefits of the Modern Library edition which may be wanting in other versions. First, there is an index of proper names which although a common feature is not universal but advantageous when a character reappears in the narrative dozens or more pages after being initially introduced. Also, at the top of each page is a reference to the date of the action being described, at least the year, more frequently the month and sometimes the specific date. In the beginning of the book before Carlyle's text there is a Chronology of the events covered in his work. I found it a useful reference. The only negative associated with the Modern Library edition which is shares with other titles published in the Modern Library series is a poor quality of the typescript.
I should like to conclude by way of an example of Carlyle's rhetoric and thought a paragraph from the chapter Rushing Down in the Book entitled Terror the Order of the Day.
"No inconsiderable Oath, truly; forming, as has been often said, the most remarkable transaction in these last thousand years. Wherefrom likewise there follow, and will follow, results. The fulfillment of this Oath; that is to say the black desperate battle of Men against their whole Condition and Environment, -a battle, alas, withal against the Sin and Darkness that was in themselves as in others; this is the Reign of Terror. Transcendental despair was the purport of it, though not consciously so. False hopes, of Fraternity, Political Millenium, and what not, we have always seen: but the unseen heart of the whole, the transcendental despair, was not false; neither has it been of no effect. Despair, pushed far enough, completes the circle, so to speak; and becomes kind of genuine productive hope again." show less
In his history of the French Revolution, Carlyle covers the period from the latter stages of the rule of Louis XV through the famous "Whiff of Grapeshot" employed by Napoleon Bonaparte to quell the uprising of the Jacobins against the National Convention in the aftermath of the downfall of Robespierre and his associates. This is about as close to a day to day or play by play of the events of the revolution as you are likely to encounter. It bears no resemblance to the typical academic history of the revolution, much less the typical textbook treatment of this world historical event. In Carlyle's retelling which was published a mere twenty-two years after the Battle of Waterloo you are introduced to what seems like the proverbial "cast of thousands". Anyone who was anyone appears on Carlyle's stage and his or her role is accounted for and judged according to his influence and merit. On the whole Carlyle is, if not on the side of, definitely sympathetic to the Revolution. The historicist in him seems to require that he pronounce in favor of what is, because it was, a movement, a spirit, an energy whose time had come and was accordingly irresistible. There is no sympathy expressed for the institutions and actors of the ancien regime, although one does detect a certain admiration for the character of Marie Antoinette. Louis XVI, on the other hand, is doomed by the circumstances he is unequipped to deal with and a Hamlet like inability to make up his mind to follow through on a plan of action. He is reduced to a passive, hope for the best, response at every major turning point where a different course of action might have salvaged his situation.
Carlyle takes a harsh attitude toward the nobility and the clergy. He frequently employs the epithets Jesuitical and Jesuitism to criticize anyone of either a royalist or moderate republican bent. He is dismissive of the emigres, approves of the abolition of feudalism. His sympathies are with what he constantly refers to as the 'twenty-five millions", i.e., the population of France suffering from the want of basic means of subsistence, not just political oppression. I was a little surprised at the harsh assessment of the Girondins who are dismissed along with their "Formulas" a term Carlyle employs to indicate his contempt for political theory as opposed to what in other contexts you might call will to power. He seems to approve of the winning side because it is the winning side and therefore deserved to win. He only criticizes the extreme left of the Jacobins after they have completely wiped out their political opposition and committed themselves to a kind of permanent revolution in the manner of their totalitarian admirers and successors in the 20th century.
Carlyle's prose is difficult albeit elegant. It is as if Shakespeare decided to write a 700-page history instead of a five-act play. If you want to fully follow the story it is really valuable to keep your access to the Internet handy to look up all of the characters he introduces who were significant players if only for a brief time in this drama. Also, the text is replete with references to Greek mythology, ancient and medieval history, and the Bible. I found myself constantly pausing to do a search on my cell phone. Sometimes it is necessary to look up a proper name to understand if he refers to a person or a place. And his vocabulary is as challenging as his literary and historical store of knowledge.
I need to mention by way of a recommendation some benefits of the Modern Library edition which may be wanting in other versions. First, there is an index of proper names which although a common feature is not universal but advantageous when a character reappears in the narrative dozens or more pages after being initially introduced. Also, at the top of each page is a reference to the date of the action being described, at least the year, more frequently the month and sometimes the specific date. In the beginning of the book before Carlyle's text there is a Chronology of the events covered in his work. I found it a useful reference. The only negative associated with the Modern Library edition which is shares with other titles published in the Modern Library series is a poor quality of the typescript.
I should like to conclude by way of an example of Carlyle's rhetoric and thought a paragraph from the chapter Rushing Down in the Book entitled Terror the Order of the Day.
"No inconsiderable Oath, truly; forming, as has been often said, the most remarkable transaction in these last thousand years. Wherefrom likewise there follow, and will follow, results. The fulfillment of this Oath; that is to say the black desperate battle of Men against their whole Condition and Environment, -a battle, alas, withal against the Sin and Darkness that was in themselves as in others; this is the Reign of Terror. Transcendental despair was the purport of it, though not consciously so. False hopes, of Fraternity, Political Millenium, and what not, we have always seen: but the unseen heart of the whole, the transcendental despair, was not false; neither has it been of no effect. Despair, pushed far enough, completes the circle, so to speak; and becomes kind of genuine productive hope again." show less
I wasn't sure it would ever happen, but I finished Carlyle's French Revolution.
It’s tough going! Carlyle’s style is poetic, a little bit archaic, and very much idiosyncratic. The author introduces important historical figures without pausing to explain who these characters are, where they are from, or what their significance to events will be. Often people and places will be referred to interchangeably by several different names. The cadance of the text is often more akin to speech than show more clear-headed literature. Throw in a bunch of (sometimes untranslated) French, Latin, and Greek expressions and the result can only be confusion and bewilderment. Prudent readers will go into this book having already acquired at least some knowledge of the events it describes, else risk being irrecoverably lost. Those looking for an informative and authoritative account of the Revolution might be better served by a modern work such as Schama’s Citizens.
All that said, Carlyle’s epic of history does have its merits. Firstly, there’s something captivating in its prose, which has the quality of epic poetry mixed with thumping energy. Secondly, Carlyle has an uncanny knack for making the reader feel like they are a face peering out of the crowed watching events unfold, rather than the more sterile role of omnipotent observer in which more modern and academic histories tend to cast their reader. In the climatic chapters that detail key world-changing events (the execution of Louis XVI or Marie Antoinette, Corday’s killing of Marat, the flight to Varennes) the book is positively thrilling. Overall, then, this is an interesting book, but one to read more as a piece of literature than as an accessible historical reference. In light of this, I’d urge potential readers to peruse at least a couple of chapters (they’re short) of the eBook at Project Gutenberg to figure out if this is likely to be a work they will enjoy before taking the plunge on an expensive fine press copy.
I wrote a bit more about this book and the specific LEC edition that I read on my book blog https://ubiquitousbooks.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/the-french-revolution/ show less
It’s tough going! Carlyle’s style is poetic, a little bit archaic, and very much idiosyncratic. The author introduces important historical figures without pausing to explain who these characters are, where they are from, or what their significance to events will be. Often people and places will be referred to interchangeably by several different names. The cadance of the text is often more akin to speech than show more clear-headed literature. Throw in a bunch of (sometimes untranslated) French, Latin, and Greek expressions and the result can only be confusion and bewilderment. Prudent readers will go into this book having already acquired at least some knowledge of the events it describes, else risk being irrecoverably lost. Those looking for an informative and authoritative account of the Revolution might be better served by a modern work such as Schama’s Citizens.
All that said, Carlyle’s epic of history does have its merits. Firstly, there’s something captivating in its prose, which has the quality of epic poetry mixed with thumping energy. Secondly, Carlyle has an uncanny knack for making the reader feel like they are a face peering out of the crowed watching events unfold, rather than the more sterile role of omnipotent observer in which more modern and academic histories tend to cast their reader. In the climatic chapters that detail key world-changing events (the execution of Louis XVI or Marie Antoinette, Corday’s killing of Marat, the flight to Varennes) the book is positively thrilling. Overall, then, this is an interesting book, but one to read more as a piece of literature than as an accessible historical reference. In light of this, I’d urge potential readers to peruse at least a couple of chapters (they’re short) of the eBook at Project Gutenberg to figure out if this is likely to be a work they will enjoy before taking the plunge on an expensive fine press copy.
I wrote a bit more about this book and the specific LEC edition that I read on my book blog https://ubiquitousbooks.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/the-french-revolution/ show less
In May, 1840, Thomas Carlyle gave a series of six lectures on Heroes in History. These lectures were subsequently published under the title On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History. In these lectures Carlyle discusses and defends his concept of the great man, or the divinely inspired, unpredictable hero. The breadth of his examples from Odin and Mahomet (Mohammed) to Shakespeare and Dante, and Napoleon among others provides an idea of the scope of his presentation. These are not show more all heroes in the sense that the concept of hero, if it exists at all, is considered today. But that is one of the best aspects of these lectures for they challenge the twenty-first century reader to think about the nature of the hero and heroism and what it might mean to worship a hero.
Certainly Carlyle's heroes seem arbitrary and perhaps a bit odd: Odin, Mahomet, Dante, Shakespeare, Luther, John Knox, Samuel Johnson, Rousseau, Robert Burns, Cromwell, and Napoleon. In my reading I found no philosophic basis that linked these men together and while divinity links several, that idea does not explain the poets or military leaders. Most are presented as men who rose from humble beginnings to reach great achievements; but they do not all share this characteristic. Certainly they all had a great impact on the history of mankind, but even here it is hard to compare a Napoleon with a Knox or a Shakespeare with Mahomet. Carlyle does claim that a sort of sincerity and originality are components of the actions and thoughts of all of these men.
"But of a Great Man especially, of him I will venture to assert that it is incredible that he should have been other than true. . . what I call a sincere man. I should say sincerity, a deep, great, genuine sincerity, is the first characteristic of all men in any way heroic. . . Such sincerity, as we named it, has in very truth something of divine. The word of such a man is a Voice direct from Nature's own Heart. Men do and must listen to that as to nothing else;" (The Hero as Prophet)
But is Sincerity enough? Not for the Poet, for he is also "a heroic figure belonging to all ages; whom all ages possess, when once he is produced, whom the newest age as the oldest may produce;"
In our culture hero-worshiping has declined, seemingly replaced with the pursuit of mentors, leaders, and role-models. The heroes that Carlyle describes may be these things, but they are larger than life idols whose thought and actions span across the ages. Carlyle relies on a degree of divine inspiration that also has declined since Nietzsche's declaration of the death of god. Carlyle may have anticipated this in his declaration that no new religions would be formed. Unfortunately he did not anticipate secular religions like Communism and Fascism.
Choosing political leaders like Cromwell and Napoleon, Carlyle raises questions about his idea of goodness. He seems carried away with his enthusiasm for these heroes and all too willing to brush over their flaws. His hero had to be absolute; or rather, if Carlyle found him "sincere" he forgave him everything. It is thinking like this that has given Carlyle a bad name in an era that has seen absolute power lead to the death of millions. Carlyle was not a philosopher, he rather relied on a sort of common sense. This included a belief that in our hearts we know what is good. But good men may disagree, and the struggle between good and evil requires more rigorous thinking.
In our era where egalitarianism is worshiped to excess, or at least to the extent that it can inhibit individual thought, Carlyle's views on the heroic and its worship seem out of date at best. Reading his lectures, however, provides an opportunity to think about the issues of heroism and the goodness (or lack thereof) of great men. He challenges some of the ideas that are accepted as truths in our culture and I found my thinking strengthened by the challenge. show less
Certainly Carlyle's heroes seem arbitrary and perhaps a bit odd: Odin, Mahomet, Dante, Shakespeare, Luther, John Knox, Samuel Johnson, Rousseau, Robert Burns, Cromwell, and Napoleon. In my reading I found no philosophic basis that linked these men together and while divinity links several, that idea does not explain the poets or military leaders. Most are presented as men who rose from humble beginnings to reach great achievements; but they do not all share this characteristic. Certainly they all had a great impact on the history of mankind, but even here it is hard to compare a Napoleon with a Knox or a Shakespeare with Mahomet. Carlyle does claim that a sort of sincerity and originality are components of the actions and thoughts of all of these men.
"But of a Great Man especially, of him I will venture to assert that it is incredible that he should have been other than true. . . what I call a sincere man. I should say sincerity, a deep, great, genuine sincerity, is the first characteristic of all men in any way heroic. . . Such sincerity, as we named it, has in very truth something of divine. The word of such a man is a Voice direct from Nature's own Heart. Men do and must listen to that as to nothing else;" (The Hero as Prophet)
But is Sincerity enough? Not for the Poet, for he is also "a heroic figure belonging to all ages; whom all ages possess, when once he is produced, whom the newest age as the oldest may produce;"
In our culture hero-worshiping has declined, seemingly replaced with the pursuit of mentors, leaders, and role-models. The heroes that Carlyle describes may be these things, but they are larger than life idols whose thought and actions span across the ages. Carlyle relies on a degree of divine inspiration that also has declined since Nietzsche's declaration of the death of god. Carlyle may have anticipated this in his declaration that no new religions would be formed. Unfortunately he did not anticipate secular religions like Communism and Fascism.
Choosing political leaders like Cromwell and Napoleon, Carlyle raises questions about his idea of goodness. He seems carried away with his enthusiasm for these heroes and all too willing to brush over their flaws. His hero had to be absolute; or rather, if Carlyle found him "sincere" he forgave him everything. It is thinking like this that has given Carlyle a bad name in an era that has seen absolute power lead to the death of millions. Carlyle was not a philosopher, he rather relied on a sort of common sense. This included a belief that in our hearts we know what is good. But good men may disagree, and the struggle between good and evil requires more rigorous thinking.
In our era where egalitarianism is worshiped to excess, or at least to the extent that it can inhibit individual thought, Carlyle's views on the heroic and its worship seem out of date at best. Reading his lectures, however, provides an opportunity to think about the issues of heroism and the goodness (or lack thereof) of great men. He challenges some of the ideas that are accepted as truths in our culture and I found my thinking strengthened by the challenge. show less
Having read much Kant and too much Hegel, I discovered Carlyle's very humorous take on the German philosophers with pleasure. Carlyle's prose is always clever and often hilariously overwrought (at one point, he likens his protagonist's philosophy to a hundred fiery Minerva's springing from the forehead of Jupiter!), and his taste in philosophy is sensible (Hegel and Voltaire each merit a lampoon). That said, Carlyle sometimes buries his thoughts under so many layers of irony that I doubt show more whether he himself had yet decided what he meant to say. This makes much of the third part of Sartor slow reading and probably less rewarding than his later works. show less
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