William Godwin

'To a rational being there can be but one rule of conduct, justice, and one mode of ascertaining that rule, the exercise of his understanding.'Godwin's Political Justice is the founding text of philosophical anarchism. Written in the immediate aftermath of the French Revolution, it exemplifies the political optimism felt by many writers and intellectuals. Godwin drew on enlightenment ideas and his background in religious dissent for the principles of justice, utility, and the sanctity of individual judgement that drove his powerful critique of all forms of secular and religious authority. He predicts the triumph of justice and equality over injustice, and of mind over matter, and the eventual vanquishing of human frailty and mortality. He also foresees the gradual elimination of practices governing property, punishment, law, and marriage and the displacement of politics by an expanded personal morality resulting from reasoned argument and candid discussion. Political Justice raises deep philosophical questions about the nature of our duty to others that remain central to modern debates on ethics and politics. This edition reprints the first-edition text of 1793, and examines Godwin's evolving philosophy in the context of his life and work. About the Series For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

When honest young Caleb Williams comes to work as a secretary for Squire Falkland, he soon begins to suspect that his new master is hiding a secret. As he digs deeper into Falkland’s past and finally unearths the horrible truth, the results of his curiosity prove calamitous when—even though Caleb has loyally sworn never to disclose what he has discovered—the Squire enacts a cruel revenge. A tale of gripping suspense and psychological power, William Godwin’s novel creates a searing depiction of the intolerable persecution meted out to a good man in pursuit of justice and equality. Written to expose the political oppression and corrupt hierarchies its author saw in the world around him, Caleb Williams makes a radical call to end the tyrannical misuses of power.

William Godwin's memoir of his wife, Mary Wollstonecraft, marks a transition in Godwin's philosophical development from extreme rationalism to the recognition of the moral importance of feeling and sympathy which was to energize his later writings. Memoirs also belongs to a tradition of biographical writing that sought to transform the consciousness of readers by using individual history as an agent of historical change. Written during the weeks following Wollstonecraft's early death, Memoirs provides an interpretation of the relations between Wollstonecraft's writings and her personal history, a candid account of her various relationships, and a vindication of her egalitarian intimacy with Godwin. This modern, scholarly edition, geared for student use, includes a wide range of primary sources, together with excerpts from Godwin's other writings and from biographical models.

William Godwin (1756-1836) states in his preface: "The main purpose of this book is to exhibit a fair delineation of the credulity of the human mind. Such an exhibition cannot fail to be productive of the most salutary lessons." Contents: Introduction Ambitious Nature of Man Examples of Necromancy and Witchcraft from The Bible Greece Rome Revolution Produced in the History of Necromancy and Witchcraft Upon the Establishment of Christianity History of Necromancy in the East Dark Ages of Europe Communication of Europe and the Saracens Revival of Letters Sanguinary Proceedings Against Witchcraft Conclusion

Set in Europe during the Protestant Reformation and first published in 1799, St. Leon tells the story of an impoverished aristocrat who obtains the philosopher’s stone and the elixir of immortality. In this philosophical fable, endless riches and immortal life prove to be curses rather than gifts and transform St. Leon into an outcast. William Godwin’s second full-length novel explores the predicament of a would-be philanthropist whose attempts to benefit humanity are frustrated by superstition and ignorance. This Broadview edition includes a critical introduction and full annotation. The appendices include contemporary reviews of the novel; Godwin’s writings on immortality, the domestic affections, and alchemy; and selections from works influenced by St. Leon, most notably Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

An anthology of his writings edited by Peter Marshall.

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First appeared in Blackwood's, February 1832.

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Anarşinin bugünkü anladığımız şekli için milat 18. yüzyıl olarak alınabilir, işte Godwin’in önemi bu noktada ortaya çıkar, zira çağdaş dönemin bilinen ilk ismidir. Peter Marshall’a göre, Godwin anarşizmin en büyük düşünürüdür. Seksen yıllık ömründe onlarca kitap, binlerce sayfa kaleme alan Godwin, yaşadığı dönem göz önünde bulundurulduğunda radikal bulunabilecek bir felsefeye sahiptir.Godwin'e göre dünyadaki kötülüğün temel kaynağı yerleşik yönetimleri ve kurumları olan devlettir, olması gereken şey devletsiz toplum ve otonom yapıların inşa edilmesidir. Doğrudan demokrasi uygulanarak tüm yurttaşlar birbirinin sesini duyabilmelidir. Ayrıca Godwin, mülkiyeti herkesin ortak kullanımına açılması gereken bir şey olarak görür ve işbirliğine vurgu yapar; ona göre, üretim kişilerin yetenekleri ve ilgileri doğrultusunda gönüllülükle organize edilmelidir; bu nedenle onun komünizm ve anarşizmle ilgili ilk sistematik fikirleri ürettiği kabul edilir. Bu fikirler Kropotkin sayesinde yaygınlaşır.Godwin’in yaklaşık 250 yıl önce kaleme aldığı yazılarına anarşizm, felsefe ve siyaset bilimi açısından Batı’da ilginin geçtiğimiz yüzyılda yeniden canlanması ve Türkiye’de ise Godwin’in eserlerinden herhangi birinin çevrilmemiş olması, bu çalışmanın oluşmasındaki temel motivasyonlardan biridir.

William Godwin is one of the first exponents of utilitarianism and modern minarchist philosophy. His two most famous works are An Enquiry concerning Political Justice and Things as They Are: The Adventures of Caleb Williams. Godwin worked with Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, his daughter, at the turn of the 19th century to advocate for social progress. The theme of Demon and Delia is one of ill-fated love. The fathers are more concerned with wealth and reputation than the feelings of their children. An excerpt reads, "In an instant our hero and his companion, escorted by young Fletcher, entered the room. The astonishment of Damon, at being so suddenly introduced to a person, whom he had never expected to see again, was immeasurable. He rushed forward with a kind of rapture; he suddenly recollected himself; but at length advanced with hesitation. There was no one present beside those we have already named. The castle was probably familiar to every person except Delia and her companions. Every one beside was therefore assembled upon the terrace."

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

William Godwin (1756–1836) was one of the first exponents of utilitarianism and the first modern proponent of anarchism. He was not only a radical philosopher but a pioneer in libertarian education, a founder of communist economics, and an acute and powerful novelist whose literary family included his partner, pioneering feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, and his daughter Mary Godwin (later Mary Shelley), who would go on to write Frankenstein and marry the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. His long life straddled two centuries. Not only did he live at the center of radical and intellectual London during the French Revolution, he also commented on some of the most significant changes in modern history. Shaped by the Enlightenment, he became a key figure in English Romanticism. This work offers for the first time a handy collection of Godwin’s key writings in a clear and concise form, together with an assessment of his influence, a biographical sketch, and an analysis of his contribution to anarchist theory and practice. The selections are taken from all of Godwin’s writings including his groundbreaking work during the French Revolution, An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, and arranged by editor Peter Marshall to give a coherent account of his thought for the general reader. Godwin’s work will be of interest to all those who believe that rationality, truth, happiness, individuality, equality, and freedom are central concerns of human enquiry and endeavor.

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

LIVES THAT NEVER GROW OLD This unique series -- edited by Richard Holmes -- recovers the great classical tradition of English biography. Every book is a biographical masterpiece -- still thrilling to read and vividly alive. The philosopher William Godwin fell in love with and married the radical feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, only to attend her deathbed (giving birth to their child, the late Mary Shelley). Heartbroken, Godwin immediately shut himself up in his study and wrote this intensely moving biography. True to his philosophical belief in absolute sincerity, Godwin coolly describes Wollstonecraft's previous love affairs, her time in revolutionary Paris, her illegitimate child, and her two suicide attempts. The book almost wrecked both their reputations, but can now be seen as a masterpiece of indiscretion and human honesty.

"the solemnity of the funeral, I had just completed the eighteenth year of my age. Deep and solemn were the emotions with which we now met each other, beneath the postern in the desolate court-yard of Mandeville House. Henrietta gave me her i hand, and motioned me to lead her to the apartment of Audley. Her acquaintance with him was exactly of that degree which made the contemplation of these things soothing. She viewed with a wistful eye the chair, in which he had sat when he received her visits, and the chamber and the bed in which he expired. She burst into a stream of tears. Shortly after, she soothed the sadness of her mind, by enquiring into the particulars, from hour to hour, of the last days and nights of the inoffensive deceased; and this detail, however common, or however fastidious it may prove to an indifferent and uninterested person, is always dear to the survivor, who knows that he shall see the subject of the narrative no more.(...)".

The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.Delve into what it was like to live during the eighteenth century by reading the first-hand accounts of everyday people, including city dwellers and farmers, businessmen and bankers, artisans and merchants, artists and their patrons, politicians and their constituents. Original texts make the American, French, and Industrial revolutions vividly contemporary.++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++University of London's Goldsmiths' LibraryT094275With a half-title to each volume, and a final errata leaf and directions to the binder in vol.II.London: printed for G. G. J. and J. Robinson, 1793. 2v.(xiii, [21],378, [28];[1],380-895, [3]p.); 4

This is a reproduction of a classic text optimised for kindle devices. We have endeavoured to create this version as close to the original artefact as possible. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we believe they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.Delve into what it was like to live during the eighteenth century by reading the first-hand accounts of everyday people, including city dwellers and farmers, businessmen and bankers, artisans and merchants, artists and their patrons, politicians and their constituents. Original texts make the American, French, and Industrial revolutions vividly contemporary.++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++University of London's Goldsmiths' LibraryT094275With a half-title to each volume, and a final errata leaf and directions to the binder in vol.II.London: printed for G. G. J. and J. Robinson, 1793. 2v.(xiii, [21],378, [28];[1],380-895, [3]p.); 4

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

A collection of fables retold from Aesop and other sources.

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

The following essay by William Godwin comes from the 1823 edition of his book The Enquirer. Reflections On Education, Manners, And Literature. In A Series Of Essays. Originally published in 1797, it served to spark an argument between Thomas Malthus and friends, which Malthus eventually answered by publishing, in 1798, his own essay on the 'principle of population.' This essay in turn influenced Charles Darwin in forming his theory of biological origins via natural selection. Darwin's scientific theory combined with Malthus's 'principle of population' fueled a wide variety of social movements, many of which we would repudiate today, including eugenics and Nazism. Of course, Godwin's connection to all of that is mainly of association: his role was to help crystallize a particular set of objections, and it was these objections that were more closely linked to these other serious historical developments. As such, this essay by Godwin is valuable to read as it provides the context necessary for properly reading and understanding later works, such as those by Malthus, which proved to have significant historical impact.

The father of Mary Shelley, William Godwin was a novelist and social philosopher, whose revolutionary works anticipated the English Romantic literary movement, advancing atheism, anarchism and personal freedom. Godwin’s idealistic liberalism was based on the principle of the absolute sovereignty and competence of reason to determine right choice. His masterpiece, ‘An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice’ rejects conventional government by demonstrating the corrupting evil and tyranny inherent in its power of manipulation. His famous novel ‘Caleb Williams’, an early mystery novel, attacks aristocratic privilege and promotes key concerns of the Enlightenment. Godwin featured prominently in the radical circles of London, writing prolifically in various genres throughout his life. This comprehensive eBook presents Godwin’s complete fictional works, with numerous illustrations, rare texts, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)* Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Godwin’s life and works* Concise introductions to the novels and other texts* All 9 novels, with individual contents tables* Features rare novels* Images of how the books were first published, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts* Excellent formatting of the texts* Rare non-fiction works* Includes Godwin’s revealing memoir of his first wife, Mary Wollstonecraft* Special criticism section, with essays evaluating Godwin’s contribution to literature* Features a bonus biography – discover Godwin’s literary life* Ordering of texts into chronological order and genresThe NovelsDamon and Delia (1784)Italian Letters (1784)Imogen (1784)Things as They Are (1794) [Caleb Williams]St. Leon (1799)Fleetwood (1805)Mandeville (1817)Cloudesley (1830)Deloraine (1833)The Non-FictionA Defence of the Rockingham Party (1783)The History of the Life of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham (1783)An Account of the Seminary (1783)Instructions to a Statesman (1784)The Herald of Literature (1784)An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Political Justice (1793)Thoughts on Man, his Nature, Productions, and Discoveries (1831)Lives of the Necromancers (1834)The MemoirMemoirs of the Author of a Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1798)The CriticismWilliam Godwin (1825) by William HazlittMr. Godwin (1830) by William HazlittReview of ‘Lives of the Necromancers’ (1835) by Edgar Allan PoeWilliam Godwin’s Novels (1898) by Leslie StephenShelley, Godwin and Their Circle (1913) by Henry Noel BrailsfordThe BiographyWilliam Godwin (1900) by Leslie Stephen

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.