Thomas Carlyle - biography, information, personal life. Brief Biography of Thomas Carlyle Other Historical Writings

Thomas Carlyle (also Carlyle; English Thomas Carlyle). Born December 4, 1795 in Ecclefechan, UK - died February 5, 1881 London. British writer, publicist, historian and philosopher of Scottish origin, author of the multi-volume essays The French Revolution (1837), Heroes, Heroic Worship and the Heroic in History (1841), Life History of Frederick II of Prussia (1858-65). He professed a romantic "cult of heroes" - exceptional personalities like Napoleon, who, with their deeds, fulfill the divine destiny and move humanity forward, towering over the crowd of limited inhabitants. Also known as one of the brilliant stylists of the Victorian era.

Born into a simple peasant family; destined by his parents - strict Calvinists for a spiritual career, at the age of 14 he entered the University of Edinburgh. Not wanting to be a priest, after completing his course at the university, he became a mathematics teacher in the provinces, but soon returned to Edinburgh. Here, living on casual literary earnings, for some time he was intensively engaged in law, preparing for the practice of law; but he quickly abandoned this, carried away by German literature.

The translation of Goethe's Wilhelm Meister in 1824 and the Life of Schiller in 1825 were Carlyle's first major works. These were followed by critical analyzes and translations from Jean-Paul.

"Prophetic sorrow, as deep as Dante" disguised in "sunny and refined Goethe", Carlyle considered accessible only to a few mortals.

The same originality as these works is distinguished by the “History of the French Revolution” (“French Revolution, a history”, 1837), the caustic pamphlet “Chartism” (1839), lectures on heroes and the heroic in history (“On Hero Worship”, 1841) and historical and philosophical reflections "Past and present" (1843).

Not suited to any of the established political parties, Carlyle felt lonely and thought for some time about publishing his own magazine to preach his "believing radicalism". All these works of Carlyle are imbued with the desire to reduce the progress of mankind to the life of individual outstanding personalities-heroes (according to Carlyle, world history is a biography of great people, see The Theory of Great People), to put exclusively moral duty at the basis of civilization; his political program is limited to the preaching of labor, moral feeling and faith.

An exaggerated appreciation of the heroic in history and distrust of the power of institutions and knowledge led him to a formal cult of times past, more favorable to heroic people. His views are brighter than anywhere else, reflected in the twelve "Latter-day pamphlets" ("Latter-day pamphlets", 1858); here he laughs at the emancipation of the Negroes, at democracy, philanthropy, political and economic doctrines, etc. Not only did the former enemies resent Carlyle after these pamphlets, but many admirers also ceased to understand him.

Throughout the 1840s, Carlyle's views shifted towards conservatism. Gradually, in the works of Carlyle, criticism of capitalism sounded more and more muffled, and his statements directed against the actions of the masses became more and more sharp. In the book Before and Now, he painted idyllic pictures of medieval society, where simple noble customs allegedly reigned, a good monarch ensured the well-being and freedom of his subjects, and the church baked about high moral values. It was a romantic utopia that brought Carlyle closer to the feudal socialists.

Of all Carlyle's writings, the Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell (1845-46), with commentaries, is of the greatest historical importance; the latter are far from impartial to the "hero" Cromwell. Carlyle showed in a new way the role of Cromwell in the history of the country, in particular, his merits in the rise of the sea power of England and in strengthening its international prestige. The work was innovative for its time. Until that time, English historians ignored this figure, seeing only a “regicide” and a “tyrant” in him. Carlyle made an attempt to reveal the true motives and significance of Cromwell's state activities. He tried to understand the nature of the revolution itself, but proceeded from the fact that the English Revolution, unlike the French, was of a religious nature and had no "earthly goals."

Carlyle's most extensive work is "History of Friedrich II of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great II" (1858-65), which forced him to undertake a trip to Germany. With many brilliant qualities, it suffers from great prolongation. Carlyle sings of this "hero-king" and admires the order of feudal Prussia.

In 1841, being dissatisfied with the policy of the British Library, he initiated the creation of the London Library.

In 1847, his "Historical and Critical Essays" (a collection of journal articles) appeared, in 1851 - a biography of his friend of his youth, the poet Sterling. From 1868 to 1870, Carlyle was busy publishing a complete collection of his works ("Library edition", in 34 volumes). This edition was followed the following year by a cheap "People's edition", which was repeated many times. He went on to publish a series of essays entitled The First Norwegian Kings (1875).

In 1866, Carlyle was offered the honorary position of rector of the University of Edinburgh. In addition to this position, he never held any position, remaining only a writer all his life. During the Franco-Prussian War, he took the side of Prussia and passionately and sincerely defended her cause in his letters to The Times, published separately (1871).

Thomas Carlyle died in 1881.

Thomas Carlyle and Nazism:

Thomas Carlyle was one of those who returned to the idea of ​​the prominent role of individuals, "heroes" in history. One of his most famous works, which had a very strong influence on contemporaries and descendants, was called “Heroes and the Heroic in History” (1840, Russian translation 1891; see also: Carlyle 1994). According to Carlyle, world history is the biography of great men. Carlyle concentrates in his works on certain personalities and their roles, preaches lofty goals and feelings, and writes a number of brilliant biographies. He says much less about the masses. In his opinion, the masses are often only tools in the hands of great personalities. According to Carlyle, there is a kind of historical circle or cycle. When the heroic principle in society weakens, then the hidden destructive forces of the masses can break out (in revolutions and uprisings), and they act until the society again finds in itself “true heroes”, leaders (such as Cromwell or). Such a heroic approach undoubtedly drew attention to the role of individuals, set (but did not solve) the problem of revealing the reasons for the fluctuations of this role in history. But it had too obvious flaws (besides unsystematic presentation): only “heroes” were considered, society was rigidly divided into leaders and the masses, the causes of revolutions were reduced to social feelings, etc.

Carlyle's views in some way anticipated the views of his cult of the superman, and through him - of Hitler and other fascist ideologists. Yes, professor. Charles Sarolea in his 1938 article "Was Carlyle the first Nazi?", tries to answer this question in the affirmative in the Anglo-German Review:

"Nazism is not a German invention, it originally originated abroad and came to us from there ... The philosophy of Nazism, the theory of dictatorship were formulated a hundred years ago by the greatest Scot of his time - Carlyle, the most revered of political prophets. Subsequently, his ideas were developed by Houston Stewart Chamberlain "There is not a single basic doctrine... of Nazism on which the Nazi religion is based that would not be... in Carlyle, or in Chamberlain. Both Carlyle and Chamberlain... are truly the spiritual fathers of the Nazi religion... Like Hitler, Carlyle never changed his hatred, his contempt for the parliamentary system ... Like Hitler, Carlyle always believed in the saving virtue of dictatorship.

in his book A History of Western Philosophy (1946) stated: "The next step after Carlyle and Nietzsche is Hitler".

The well-known historian Manuel Sarkisyants devoted a separate chapter to the question of Carlyle's influence on the development of Nazi ideas in his book The English Roots of German Fascism.

Thomas Carlyle

Carlyle, Thomas (1795-1881), English publicist, historian and philosopher. He put forward the concept of the "cult of heroes", the only creators of history.

Carlyle Thomas (1795/1881) - English philosopher and historian, author of journalistic works. Carlyle created the theory of the "cult of heroes", who, in his opinion, are the only creators of history.

Guryeva T.N. New literary dictionary / T.N. Guriev. – Rostov n/a, Phoenix, 2009 , With. 122.

Carlyle Thomas (1795-1881) English bourgeois philosopher and historian. He propagated German idealistic philosophy and reactionary romanticism, close to pantheism. Carlyle applied Fichte's doctrine of active activity of the subject as the creative beginning of the world to society, substantiating the "cult of heroes". The history of society, according to Carlyle, is the biography of great people. Carlyle is a supporter of the historical cycle of theory. His critique of capitalism is close to "feudal socialism". Modern bourgeois philosophers and sociologists use the legacy of Carlyle to fight Marxism-Leninism. Major works: "Sartor Revartus" (1834), "Heroes, the veneration of heroes and the heroic in history" (1840), "Past and Present" (1843), "History of the French Revolution" (1-3 vols., 1837), " Modern Pamphlets" (1850).

Philosophical Dictionary. Ed. I.T. Frolova. M., 1991 , With. 182.

Philosopher

Carlyle Thomas (December 4, 1795, Ecclefehan, Dumfries, Scotland - February 5, 1881, London) - British philosopher, writer, historian and essayist. Born in the family of a bricklayer. He was brought up in the spirit of severe puritanism, in respect for a sense of duty and worship of work. From the age of 5 he studied at the local village school, starting from 1805 - at the "Latin school" in Annan. In 1809 he entered the University of Edinburgh. After completing the preparatory course (which included the study of languages, philosophy and mathematics), he abandoned the plan to take a course in theology. In 1814 he became a mathematics teacher at Annan. Here Carlyle became interested in literature, studied the German language. In 1816 he became friends with the later famous preacher E. Irving; headed a boys' school in Kirkkaldy. From December 1819 he lived in Edinburgh, studied law at the university, gave private lessons. In 1818-20 he contributed to Brewster's Encyclopedia of Edinburgh, and in 1822 he received a job as a home teacher. The first significant publications were devoted to German literature: in 1822, Carlyle's article on Goethe's Faust appeared in the New Edinburgh Review, and in 1823-24 in the London Magazine, a series of articles entitled Schiller's Life (separate ed. 1825). In 1818-21 he experienced a spiritual crisis, which he explained by the fact that the spirit of research, driven by love for the truth, inspired him with knowledge that was contrary to the faith of childhood. Carlyle characterized his condition as a loss of hope and faith, which is everything in a person's life. The whole universe, including his own "I", seemed to him a mechanism that did not know freedom. Carlyle was tormented by his weakness, which, as he understood, could only be overcome by action, while action required awareness of one's strength, the ability to resist the necessity of a dead nature. In June 1821, Carlyle experienced a spiritual rebirth, overcoming the "nightmare of unbelief", getting rid of fear and acquiring contempt for evil. In the 1820s actively engaged in German philosophy and poetry, was fond of Goethe , Schiller , Novalis , Fr. Schlegel , Fichte and Schelling. I saw my mission in the promotion of German culture. Carlyle's worldview took shape in the era of associationist psychology, utilitarianism in ethics, and individualistic political economy dominating the spiritual life of England. Carlyle called this kind of philosophy "the mechanical philosophy of profit and loss." Carlyle rejected systems in philosophy; mysticism, romanticism, subjectivism and activism in worldview were close to him. In the 1820s recognized the logical impeccability of Holbach's "System of Nature", believed that the world is an insensible mechanism hostile to the human "I" as a source and bearer of freedom, rebelling against the world. Recognizing the correct materialistic view of the world, Carlyle understood that it is based on the thesis of the reality of matter in time and space. Acquainted through Novalis and Fr. Schlegel with Kant's teaching on the phenomenality of space and time, Carlyle changed his views on the natural world. However, unlike Kant, he is convinced of the substantiality of the soul as a source of strength and creativity. The inner strength of the soul is manifested in the spiritual and bodily existence of a person, but Carlyle now considers the entire material world as a form of manifestation of the highest internal power - God, deifies matter as the garment of God. The eternity of God is manifested in the eternity of the past and the eternity of the future, the meeting of which constitutes the present. All history for Carlyle is a continuous revelation, and every person who seeks God and preaches about him to others is a prophet. Both nature and history, Carlyle believes, deserve reverence and an "eternal Yes." October 17, 1826 Carlyle marries Jane Walsh, until 1828 lives in Edinburgh. Publications in the 1820s devoted mainly to German literature: in 1823 his translation of Wilhelm Meister was published (Carlyle sent it to Goethe, a correspondence began, which became more and more meaningful; it was subsequently published; Carlyle's Life of Schiller was published in German with a preface by Goethe), in 1827 - article on German literature, in 1828 - articles on Goethe, Hein and Burns, in 1829 - essays on Voltaire, Novalis and the article "Signs of the Times", in 1830 - an article on history, in 1832 - three articles on Goethe, in 1833 - three articles about history, the novel "Sartor Resartus". In the years 1828-1834, due to financial difficulties, he lived on the Kregenpattock estate, where he worked on the Sartor Resartus. In 1831, while in London in connection with the troubles surrounding the publication of the novel, Carlyle met J. S. Millem. In 1833 he met R. W. Emerson, an American philosopher influenced by Carlyle; thanks to Emerson, the book "Sartor Resartus" was published as a separate edition in America (1836, in England - 1838). In 1833-34 the novel was published in Fraser's Magazine.

The novel Sartor Resartus. The Life and Thoughts of Herr Teufelsdrock is a complex literary work, replete with symbols and allegories. In the image of the protagonist, who wrote the work "Clothing, Its Origin and Philosophy", Carlyle traces the development of the human soul to freedom. In the chapters "Eternal No", "Center of Indifference" and "Eternal Yes", he depicts his own spiritual experience of the years of crisis. Carlyle argues that God and his own soul are the only support of man. Everything that exists is related to our spiritual being and, like it, comes from God. Therefore, man must love the whole creation. The novel outlines Carlyle's thoughts about the world, about eternity and time, about nature, man and mind, about society, religion, the Church, symbols, ideals, immortality, past and future, etc. The philosophy of "clothing" turns into a real worldview. Space, time and everything that is in them are only symbols of God, behind which one must see the Divinity itself. But the world, the dress of God, is not dead, it is his living garment, and everything that happens in the world symbolizes the eternal activity of God. The spirit of each age burns in the flame that devours it, but instead of the end of things, the phoenix is ​​reborn. Behind the smoke we see the Divine. Therefore, a person's attitude to the world cannot be purely contemplative, he must contribute to the birth of a new phoenix. At the end of the book, Carlyle satirically depicts a modern society that has lost its inner essence, having degenerated into symbols, both on the part of the ruling classes and on the part of the proletariat.

Since 1834 Carlyle has been living in London. Here he is working on the "History of the French Revolution" (publ. 1837). In 1835 he met D. Sterling, who in 1839 wrote an essay on Carlyle's worldview - the best, according to Carlyle, of everything written about him (published in the appendix to the Russian edition of Sartor Resartus). Sterling emphasizes in Carlyle's worldview the requirement of a reverent attitude towards the world and man, treating them as a miracle; the assertion that the highest form of a person's relationship to the world is religion, which is based on a sense of the divine; this latter is itself the highest form of the divine in human existence. Carlyle also highly appreciates poetry. The main task of a person is not so much knowledge as work, creativity, which reward noble efforts. Through the confusion of past and present, one must be able to consider the foundations of human actions. Reverent observation, however, will horrify a person from evil, untruth, weakness, collisions. The moral support of a person in such a situation should be labor, courage, simplicity and truthfulness.

After the publication of Sartor Resartus, Carlyle gradually loses interest in literature, which he had not previously considered as a goal in himself, seeing in it a way to comprehend the world and man. Carlyle's worldview is developing in the direction of the philosophy of history. In the works “Signs of the Times” (1829) and “Characteristics of Our Time”, his critical position was expressed in relation to public institutions, contemporary social philosophy; Carlyle considers modern society to be sick, argues that people are too preoccupied with their "I", too worn with their problems; the most serious disease of society is the excessive wealth of some and the poverty of others. The current situation is worse than before because of the lack of faith and ideals. People do nothing intuitively, from the depths of their essence, everyone is guided by hardened recipes. They have lost faith in themselves, in the effectiveness of their own efforts, they care not about internal improvement, but about external adaptation, they are chasing external transformations. Meanwhile, reforms are premature without self-improvement, without achieving freedom, not only in the political sense. In the essay "Chartism", which had a huge public outcry, Carlyle does not speak from party positions, he considers Chartism as a symptom of social life, deeply rooted in the dissatisfaction of the workers with their position. Exploring the general causes of Chartism, Carlyle dwells in detail on various aspects of the social life of England at that time, argues with modern economists, does not accept the thesis about the temporary nature of the disasters of the working people, which supposedly will disappear by itself, does not agree with the principle of complete non-intervention of the state in economic life. In 1843, in the book "Past and Present", starting from one medieval chronicle, Carlyle compares the current situation with the past; he argues that the former strong ties between people have been replaced by a bond in the form of a monetary contract, and the current formal freedom of people has only worsened the situation, since it completely removed the responsibility for their situation from the masters. According to Carlyle, only a strong man, a genius, can properly manage a society. In The Last Day Pamphlets (1850), Carlyle criticizes modernity even more sharply, talking about slavery, government institutions, parliament, exemplary prisons (where the life of prisoners is better than the life of workers), double morality (the British profess two religions: on Sundays Christianity, in weekdays - political economy), etc. In his journalism, Carlyle speaks from the standpoint of morality, conscience and duty, pessimistically assessing the current state of society.

In 1837-40, Carlyle repeatedly spoke in London with public lectures. The last course was published under the title On Heroes, the Cult of Heroes, and the Heroic in History (1840). According to Carlyle, world history is the history, the biography of great people: educators, patrons, creators. All things existing in the world are the embodiment of their thoughts and aspirations. Great people - prophets, poets, preachers, writers, rulers. Contrary to the then prevailing tendencies, Carlyle sees in great people a miracle, something supernatural, prophets through whom there is a continuous revelation of God. Their souls are open to the divine content of life, their qualities are sincerity, originality, a sense of reality. In 1845, Carlyle published Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell, and in 1851, a biography of D. Sterling. Carlyle's last major work is The Life of Frederick the Great (vols. 1-5, 1858-65). While working on the book, Carlyle visited Germany twice (1852, 1858). During the Franco-Prussian War, Carlyle published in the Times on the side of Germany, for which Bismarck awarded him the Order of Merit. Carlyle exerted a tremendous moral and literary (in particular, on Dickens, Ruskin, and others) influence on his contemporaries, defending moral values ​​in an age of revolution and change.

I. V. Borisova

New Philosophical Encyclopedia. In four volumes. / Institute of Philosophy RAS. Scientific ed. advice: V.S. Stepin, A.A. Huseynov , G.Yu. Semigin. M., Thought, 2010 , vol. II, E - M, p. 218-219.

Historian

Carlyle, Carlyle, Thomas (4.XII.1795 - 4.II.1881) - English publicist, historian, philosopher. The son of a rural mason. Graduated from the University of Edinburgh (1814). The philosophical and historical views of Carlyle were formed under the strong influence of the German idealist philosophers and reactionary romantics, and partly of Saint-Simon. Engels defined Carlyle's worldview as pantheism (see K. Marx and F. Engels, Soch., 2nd ed., vol. 1, p. 589). In Carlyle's pamphlets "Chartism" ("Chartism", L., 1840), "Now and Before" (L., 1843; Russian translation - M., 1906) and other works of the 30s - early 40s, sympathy for the working people , a deep, sometimes revolutionary criticism of capitalism was combined with the apotheosis of the Middle Ages and calls for the restoration of feudal-hierarchical social relations, which brought Carlyle closer to feudal socialism. In Carlyle's best historical work, The French Revolution (L., 1837; Russian translation - St. Petersburg, 1907), along with the justification of the overthrow of rotten absolutism by the masses of the people, an extremely subjectivist idealistic concept of the "cult of heroes" is already outlined, expanded in the series of lectures "Heroes, veneration of heroes and the heroic in history" (L., 1841; Russian translation - St. Petersburg, 1908), read in 1837-1840. This concept is the basis of "Letters and speeches of Oliver Cromwell" ("Oliver Cromwell's letters and speeches", L., 1845-46). real creators of history (“the history of the world is the biography of great people”), and the masses are “the crowd, the tool in their hands”; the heroic principle in society periodically weakens, and then the blind destructive forces hidden in the crowd break out until society again discovers in "true heroes" - "leaders" (for example, Cromwell, Napoleon). Such, according to Carlyle, is the vicious circle of history. As the class struggle of the proletariat developed, Carlyle's petty-bourgeois philosophical and historical conception became more and more reactionary. (See, for example, "Pamphlets of the last day" (L., 1850; Russian translation - St. Petersburg, 1907), etc.) Prussian militarism "History of Friedrich II of Prussia" ("History of Friedrich II of Prussia", v. 1-13, 1858-65) testified to the deep the eye of the crisis of Carlyle's historical creativity. The concept of Carlyle's "cult of heroes" was taken up by bourgeois historiography and is widely used by the ideologists of imperialist reaction.

I. N. Nemanov. Smolensk.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 7. KARAKEEV - KOSHAKER. 1965 .

Compositions: The works, v. 1-30, L., 1896-1905; letters. 1826-1836, v. 1-2, L.-N. Y., 1888.

Literature: Engels F., The situation of England. Thomas Carlyle. "Past and Present", K. Marx and F. Engels, Soch., 2nd ed., vol. 1; Marx K. and Engels F., Thomas Carlyle. "Modern pamphlets. No 1. The modern era. No 2. Exemplary prisons", ibid., vol. 7; Lenin, V.I., Notebooks on Imperialism, Soch., 4th ed., vol. 39, p. 509; Nemanov IN, The subjectivist-idealistic essence of T. Carlyle's views on the history of society, "VI", 1956, No 4; Froude J. A., Thomas Carlyle, N. Y., 1882; Wilson D.A., Life of Thomas Carlyle, v. 1-6, N. Y., 1923-34; Young L. M., Thomas Carlyle and the art of history, L., 1939; Gascoyne D., Thomas Carlyle, L.-N. Y., 1952.

Carlyle, Carlyle Thomas (December 4, 1795, Ecclefehan, Scotland - February 5, 1881, London), English philosopher, writer and historian. Carlyle's worldview was formed under the influence of Goethe, Fichte, Schelling and the German romantics. Opponent of French materialism and Scottish utilitarianism.

In the philosophical novel Sartor Resartus (1833-34, Russian translation, 1902), in the mythological spirit traditional for romanticism, he created a philosophical picture of the world, "dressed" in a kind of symbolic cover-emblems that hide the transcendent reality of nature and society. Following Fichte, he considered space and time as an illusion of feelings, which hides the divine order of the universe from man. Philosophy, according to Carlyle, is called upon to "unravel" the presence of the pantheistic spirit in the visible forms of the perceived world by the symbols-emblems. Cosmism is inherent in Carlyle's romantic naturalism - the desire to unite the microcosm of "appearing" nature with universal nature and eternity, identical with spirit. Carlyle's subjectivism sometimes led him to solipsism. The spiritualistic philosophy of Carlyle was used by representatives of Theosophy.

Carlyle's pantheistic symbolism extended to society and culture. He sharply criticized the Anglican Church and the whole system of bourgeois spiritual values. In the philosophy of history, Carlyle acted as the herald of the "cult of heroes" - the bearers of the divine destiny and the spiritual creators of the historical process, towering above the "average" mass. Some features of Carlyle's sociology give reason to compare it with the ideology of Nietzsche's "superman". Developing the concept of "kinship relations" between landowners and the lower classes of feudal society, he idealized the corporate structure of feudalism, passing it off as socialism. The feudal socialism of Carlyle was criticized in the "Manifesto of the Communist Party" by K. Marx and F. Engels.

Philosophical encyclopedic dictionary. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Ch. editors: L. F. Ilyichev, P. N. Fedoseev, S. M. Kovalev, V. G. Panov. 1983 .

Compositions: Works..., v. 1-30, L., 1899-1923; in Russian per. - Historical and critical experiments, M., 1878; Ethics of life, St. Petersburg, 1906; Franz. revolution, St. Petersburg, 1907; Heroes, the veneration of heroes and the heroic in history, St. Petersburg, 1908.

Read further:

Philosophers, lovers of wisdom

Historians (biographical guide).

Historical Persons of England (Great Britain) (biographical guide).

Compositions:

Works, v. 1-30. L., 1899-1923, in Russian. trans.: Novalis. M., 1901; Sartor Resartus. The Life and Thoughts of Herr Teufelsdrock, Vol. 1-3. M., 1902; Ethics of life. Work hard and don't give up! St. Petersburg, 1906; Now and before. M., 1906; Pamphlets of the last day. St. Petersburg, 1907; Heroes, hero-worship, and the heroic in history. St. Petersburg, 1908; Historical and critical experiences. M., 1978; French revolution. Story. M 1991.

Literature:

Yakovenko V. I. T. Carlyle, his life and literary activity. SPb., 1891; Hansel P. T. Carlyle. St. Petersburg, 1903; Kareev N. I. Thomas Carlyle. His life, his personality, his works, his ideas. Pg, 1923; Simone D. Carlyle. M., 1981; Froude J.A. Thomas Cairlyle: A History of the First Forty Years of Life, 1795-1835. L., 1882; Idem. Thomas Carlyle: A History of His Life in London, 1834-81. L., 1884; Hood E. P. T. Carlyle. Philosophic Thinker, Theologian, Historian and Poet. N.Y., 1970; Campbell I. T. Carlyle. L., 1974.

"cult of heroes" - exceptional personalities like Napoleon, who fulfill the divine destiny with their deeds and move humanity forward, towering over the crowd of limited inhabitants. Also known as one of the brilliant stylists of the Victorian era.

Start of activity

Born into a simple peasant family; destined by his parents - strict Calvinists for a spiritual career, at the age of 14 he entered the University of Edinburgh. Not wanting to be a priest, after completing his course at the university, he became a mathematics teacher in the provinces, but soon returned to Edinburgh. Here, living on casual literary earnings, for some time he intensively studied law, preparing for the practice of law; but he quickly abandoned this too, becoming carried away by German literature.

Essays on German Literature

"Prophetic grief, as deep as Dante" disguised in "sunny and refined Goethe", Carlyle considered accessible only to a few mortals.

He read a course of lectures on German literature, in 1838 - on European literature, in 1839 he read on the topic "Revolution in modern Europe." The last time I read the course was in 1840. It was the only published and therefore extant course on the role of the hero in history. The list of heroes itself: Dante, Shakespeare, Luther, Rousseau, Napoleon, Cromwell, etc. These lectures brought some income to Carlyle, and after 1840 he no longer needed money and was rarely able to move him to speak.

A book about the French Revolution. Historical and philosophical views

The same originality as these works is distinguished by the “History of the French Revolution” (“French Revolution, a history”, ), the caustic pamphlet “Chartism” (), lectures on heroes and the heroic in history (“On Hero worship”, ) and historical and philosophical reflections "Past and present" ().

Not suited to any of the established political parties, Carlyle felt lonely and thought for some time about publishing his own magazine to preach his "believing radicalism". All these works of Carlyle are imbued with the desire to reduce the progress of mankind to the life of individual outstanding personalities-heroes (according to Carlyle, world history is a biography of great people, see The Theory of Great People), to put exclusively moral duty at the basis of civilization; his political program is limited to the preaching of labor, moral feeling and faith. An exaggerated appreciation of the heroic in history and distrust of the power of institutions and knowledge led him to a formal cult of times past, more favorable to heroic people. His views are brighter than anywhere else, reflected in the twelve "Latter-day pamphlets" ("Latter-day pamphlets",); here he laughs at the emancipation of the Negroes, at democracy, philanthropy, political and economic doctrines, etc. Not only did the former enemies resent Carlyle after these pamphlets, but many admirers also ceased to understand him.

Other historical writings

Throughout the 1840s, Carlyle's views shifted towards conservatism. Gradually, in the works of Carlyle, criticism of capitalism sounded more and more muffled, and his statements directed against the actions of the masses became more and more sharp. In the book Before and Now, he painted idyllic pictures of medieval society, where simple noble customs allegedly reigned, a good monarch ensured the well-being and freedom of his subjects, and the church baked about high moral values. It was a romantic utopia that brought Carlyle closer to the feudal socialists.
Of all Carlyle's writings, the Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell (1845-46), with commentaries, is of the greatest historical importance; the latter are far from impartial towards the "hero" Cromwell. Carlyle showed in a new way the role of Cromwell in the history of the country, in particular, his merits in the rise of the sea power of England and in strengthening its international prestige. The work was innovative for its time. Until that time, English historians ignored this figure, seeing only a “regicide” and a “tyrant” in him. Carlyle made an attempt to reveal the true motives and significance of Cromwell's state activities. He tried to understand the nature of the revolution itself, but proceeded from the fact that the English Revolution, unlike the French, was of a religious nature and had no "earthly goals."
Carlyle's most extensive work is "History of Friedrich II of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great II" (1858-65), which forced him to take a trip to Germany. With many brilliant qualities, it suffers from great prolongation. Carlyle sings of this "hero-king" and admires the order of feudal Prussia.

In 1841, being dissatisfied with the policy of the British Library, he initiated the creation of the London Library.

Carlyle and Nazism

The English philosopher Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) was one of those who returned to the idea of ​​the prominent role of personalities, "heroes" in history. One of his most famous works, which had a very strong influence on contemporaries and descendants, was called “Heroes and the Heroic in History” (1840, Russian translation 1891; see also: Carlyle 1994). According to Carlyle, world history is the biography of great men. Carlyle concentrates in his works on certain personalities and their roles, preaches lofty goals and feelings, and writes a number of brilliant biographies. He says much less about the masses. In his opinion, the masses are often only tools in the hands of great personalities. According to Carlyle, there is a kind of historical circle or cycle. When the heroic principle in society weakens, then the hidden destructive forces of the masses can break out (in revolutions and uprisings), and they act until the society again discovers in itself the “true heroes”, leaders (such as Cromwell or Napoleon). Such a heroic approach undoubtedly drew attention to the role of individuals, set (but did not solve) the problem of revealing the reasons for the fluctuations of this role in history. But it had too obvious flaws (besides unsystematic presentation): only “heroes” were considered, society was rigidly divided into leaders and the masses, the causes of revolutions were reduced to social feelings, etc.

Carlyle's views somewhat anticipated the views of Nietzsche with his cult of the superman, and through him, Hitler and other fascist ideologists. Thus Professor Charles Sarolea, in his 1938 article "Was Carlyle the First Nazi?", attempts to answer this question in the affirmative in the Anglo-German Review:

Compositions

• (vol. I)
• Historical and critical experiences
• ()
• Nibelungs ()
  • Art. in "Vestn. Europe” (1881, books 5 and 6);
  • "The latest English literature"
  • I. Ten; "The Autobiography of D. S. Mill";
• Thomas Carlyle. Sartor Resartus. The Life and Thoughts of Herr Teufelsdrock/ Per. N. Gorbova. - M., 1902; 2nd ed.: M., Tipo-lit. t-va I.N. Kushnerev and Co., 1904 - 356 p.
• Carlyle T. Now and before/ Per. from English. and foreword. N. Gorbova. - M., Tipo-lit. t-va I. N. Kushnerev and Co., 1906. - XXII, , 450 p.

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Notes

Literature

• Zvyagintsev E. A.// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
• Carlyle, Thomas. Luther, 1841 / Cm.: Luther, Martin. On the freedom of a Christian. [Collection]. Ufa: ARC, 2013, pp. 407-437. ISBN 978-5-905551-05-5
• Wells, John. Rude Words: a discursive history of the London Library. - Macmillan, 1991. - ISBN 0333475194.
• - a chapter from the book of Manuel Sarkisyants
• (ZhZL)
• Engels F.
• Okolsky A. Thomas Carlyle and English society in the 19th century. Warsaw: Type. Varsh. textbook Okr., 1893. - 146 p.

Excerpt characterizing Carlyle, Thomas

- My God! For what? ... - Nikolai shouted in despair.
The uncle's hunter, on the other hand, rode to cut the wolf, and his dogs again stopped the beast. Again he was surrounded.
Nikolai, his stirrup, his uncle and his hunter twirled over the beast, hooting, screaming, every minute about to get off when the wolf sat on his back and every time he started forward when the wolf shook himself and moved towards the notch, which was supposed to save him. Even at the beginning of this persecution, Danila, having heard hooting, jumped out to the edge of the forest. He saw how Karay took the wolf and stopped the horse, believing that the matter was over. But when the hunters did not get off, the wolf shook itself and again went to the duck. Danila released his brown not to the wolf, but in a straight line to the notch, just like Karay, to cut the beast. Thanks to this direction, he jumped to the wolf while the second time he was stopped by his uncle's dogs.
Danila galloped silently, holding the drawn dagger in his left hand and, like a flail of milk, with his rapnik along the pulled up sides of the brown.
Nikolai did not see or hear Danila until the brown one panted past him, breathing heavily, and he heard the sound of a body falling and saw that Danila was already lying in the middle of the dogs on the rear of the wolf, trying to catch him by the ears. It was obvious to the dogs, and to the hunters, and to the wolf that it was all over now. The beast, frightened, flattening its ears, tried to get up, but the dogs clung to it. Danila, getting up, took a falling step and with all his weight, as if lying down to rest, fell on the wolf, grabbing him by the ears. Nikolai wanted to stab, but Danila whispered: “No need, we’ll do it,” and changing position, he stepped on the wolf’s neck with his foot. They put a stick in the wolf's mouth, tied it up, as if bridling it with a pack, tied its legs, and Danila twice rolled over the wolf from one side to the other.
With happy, exhausted faces, a living, full-grown wolf was mounted on a shy and snorting horse and, accompanied by dogs squealing at him, was taken to the place where everyone was supposed to gather. The young ones were taken by the hounds and three by the greyhounds. The hunters came with their prey and stories, and they all came up to watch the hardened wolf, who, hanging his big-lobed head with a bitten stick in his mouth, looked with large, glassy eyes at this whole crowd of dogs and people surrounding him. When they touched him, he, trembling with his bandaged legs, wildly and at the same time simply looked at everyone. Count Ilya Andreich also rode up and touched the wolf.
“Oh, what a motherfucker,” he said. - Mother, huh? he asked Danila, who was standing beside him.
- Seasoned, your excellency, - Danila answered, hastily taking off his hat.
The count remembered his missing wolf and his encounter with Danila.
“However, brother, you are angry,” said the count. Danila said nothing and only smiled shyly, a childishly meek and pleasant smile.

The old count rode home; Natasha and Petya promised to come immediately. The hunt went on, as it was still early. In the middle of the day, the hounds were let into a ravine overgrown with dense young forest. Nicholas, standing on the stubble, saw all his hunters.
Across from Nikolai there was greenery and there stood his hunter, alone in a hole behind a prominent hazel bush. The hounds had just been brought in, Nikolai heard the rare rut of the dog known to him - Voltorna; other dogs joined him, now falling silent, then again starting to drive. A minute later, a voice was heard from the island on the fox, and the whole flock, having fallen down, drove along the screwdriver, in the direction of the greenery, away from Nikolai.
He saw galloping red-capped snipers along the edges of the overgrown ravine, he even saw dogs, and every second he expected a fox to appear on the other side, in the greenery.
The hunter, who was standing in the pit, set off and released the dogs, and Nikolai saw a red, low, strange fox, which, having fluffed out a pipe, hurriedly rushed through the greenery. The dogs began to sing to her. Here they approached, here the fox began to wag in circles between them, more and more often making these circles and circling around him with a fluffy pipe (tail); and then someone's white dog flew in, and after it a black one, and everything was mixed up, and the dogs, with their backs apart, slightly hesitant, became a star. Two hunters jumped up to the dogs: one in a red hat, the other, a stranger, in a green caftan.
"What it is? thought Nicholas. Where did this hunter come from? It's not uncle's."
The hunters fought off the fox and for a long time, slowly, stood on foot. Near them, horses with their protrusions of saddles, and dogs lay on poles. The hunters waved their hands and did something with the fox. From there came the sound of a horn - the agreed signal of a fight.
- This is the Ilaginsky hunter, something is rebelling with our Ivan, - said the aspirant Nikolai.
Nikolay sent a stirrup to call his sister and Petya to him, and walked at a pace to the place where the hounds were gathering the hounds. Several hunters galloped to the scene of the fight.
Nikolai got off his horse, stopped near the hounds with Natasha and Petya, who had driven up, waiting for information about how the matter would end. A fighting hunter with a fox in toroks rode out from behind the edge of the forest and rode up to the young master. He took off his hat from a distance and tried to speak respectfully; but he was pale, breathless, and his face was vicious. One of his eyes was blackened, but he probably didn't know it.
- What did you have there? Nikolai asked.
- How, from under our hounds, he will poison! Yes, and my mousey bitch caught it. Come on, sue! Enough for the fox! I'll roll him like a fox. Here she is, in the torso. And this is what you want? ... - the hunter said, pointing to the dagger and probably imagining that he was still talking with his enemy.
Nikolai, without talking to the hunter, asked his sister and Petya to wait for him and went to the place where this hostile Ilaginsky hunt was.
The victorious hunter rode into the crowd of hunters and there, surrounded by sympathetic curious, told his feat.
The fact was that Ilagin, with whom the Rostovs were in a quarrel and process, hunted in places that, according to custom, belonged to the Rostovs, and now, as if on purpose, he ordered to drive up to the island where the Rostovs hunted, and allowed his hunter to poison from under other people's hounds.
Nikolai never saw Ilagin, but, as always, in his judgments and feelings, not knowing the middle ground, according to rumors about the riot and self-will of this landowner, he hated him with all his heart and considered him his worst enemy. Angered and agitated, he now rode towards him, tightly clutching the rapnik in his hand, in full readiness for the most decisive and dangerous actions against his enemy.
As soon as he rode beyond the ledge of the forest, he saw a fat gentleman in a beaver cap on a beautiful black horse, accompanied by two stirrups, advancing towards him.
Instead of an enemy, Nikolai found in Ilagina a representative, courteous gentleman, who especially wanted to get acquainted with the young count. Having approached Rostov, Ilagin raised his beaver cap and said that he was very sorry for what had happened; that orders to punish the hunter, who allowed himself to poison from under other people's dogs, asks the count to be acquainted and offers him his places for hunting.
Natasha, who was afraid that her brother would do something terrible, rode not far behind him in excitement. Seeing that the enemies bowed friendly, she rode up to them. Ilagin raised his beaver cap even higher in front of Natasha and, smiling pleasantly, said that the countess represented Diana both in her passion for hunting and in her beauty, about which he had heard a lot.
Ilagin, in order to make amends for his hunter, urged Rostov to go into his eel, which was a mile away, which he saved for himself and in which, according to him, hares were poured. Nikolai agreed, and the hunt, which had doubled in size, moved on.
It was necessary to go through the fields to the Ilaginsky eel. The hunters leveled out. The gentlemen traveled together. Uncle, Rostov, Ilagin secretly glanced at other people's dogs, trying not to be noticed by others, and anxiously looked for rivals among these dogs for their dogs.
Rostov was especially struck by her beauty, a small purebred, narrow, but with steel muscles, a thin forceps (muzzle) and rolling black eyes, a red-spotted bitch in Ilagin's pack. He heard about the playfulness of the Ilaginsky dogs, and in this beautiful bitch he saw a rival to his Milka.
In the middle of a sedate conversation about the harvest of this year, which Ilagin started, Nikolai pointed out to him his red-spotted bitch.
- You have a good bitch! he said casually. - Rezva?
- This? Yes, this one is a kind dog, it catches, ”Ilagin said in an indifferent voice about his red-haired Yerza, for whom a year ago he gave his neighbor three families of courtyards. - So you, Count, do not boast of being hammered? He continued the conversation. And considering it polite to repay the young count in the same way, Ilagin examined his dogs and chose Milka, who caught his eye with her width.
- You have a good black-pie - okay! - he said.
“Yes, nothing, he’s jumping,” answered Nikolai. “If only a hardened hare would run into the field, I would show you what kind of dog this is!” he thought, and turning to the stirrup said that he gives a ruble to someone who suspects, that is, finds a lying hare.
“I don’t understand,” Ilagin continued, “how other hunters are envious of the beast and dogs. I'll tell you about myself, Count. It amuses me, you know, to take a ride; now you’ll move in with such a company ... what’s better already (he again took off his beaver cap in front of Natasha); and this is to count the skins, how many he brought - I don’t care!
- Well, yes.
- Or so that I would be offended that someone else's dog would catch, and not mine - I just want to admire the persecution, isn't it, count? Then I judge...
- Atu - his, - a drawn-out cry of one of the stopped greyhounds was heard at that time. He stood on a semi-mound of stubble, raising a rapnik, and once again repeated drawlingly: - A - that - him! (This sound and the raised rapnik meant that he sees a hare lying in front of him.)
“Ah, I suspect, I think,” Ilagin said casually. - Well, let's go, count!
- Yes, you need to drive up ... yes - well, together? answered Nikolai, peering at Yerza and the red uncle Rugai, at two of his rivals, with whom he had never yet managed to equalize his dogs. “Well, how will my Milka be cut off from my ears!” he thought, moving towards the hare next to his uncle and Ilagin.
- Mother? Ilagin asked, moving towards the suspicious hunter, and not without excitement, looking around and whistling to Yerza...
“And you, Mikhail Nikanorych?” he turned to his uncle.
Uncle rode frowning.
- Why should I meddle, because yours is a pure march! - in the village they paid for the dog, your thousandths. You measure yours, and I'll take a look!
- Scold! On, on, he shouted. - Scold! he added, involuntarily expressing by this diminutive his tenderness and hope placed in this red dog. Natasha saw and felt the excitement hidden by these two old men and her brother, and she herself was worried.
The hunter stood on a half-hill with a raised rapnik, the gentlemen drove up to him at a step; the hounds, walking on the very horizon, turned away from the hare; hunters, not gentlemen, also drove off. Everything moved slowly and sedately.
- Where is the head? Nikolai asked, driving up a hundred paces to the suspicious hunter. But before the hunter had time to answer, the hare, sensing frost by tomorrow morning, could not lie down and jumped up. A flock of hounds on bows, with a roar, rushed downhill after a hare; from all sides, the greyhounds, who were not in packs, rushed to the hounds and to the hare. All those slow-moving hunters-snipers shouting: stop! knocking down dogs, greyhounds shouting: atu! guiding the dogs, they galloped across the field. Calm Ilagin, Nikolai, Natasha and uncle flew, not knowing how and where, seeing only dogs and a hare, and fearing only to lose sight of the persecution even for a moment. The hare was caught hardened and frisky. Jumping up, he did not immediately gallop, but moved his ears, listening to the scream and clatter that suddenly resounded from all sides. He jumped about ten times slowly, letting the dogs approach him, and finally, having chosen a direction and realizing the danger, put his ears to the ground and rushed at full speed. He was lying on the stubble, but in front there were greenery, on which it was marshy. The two dogs of the suspicious hunter, who were the closest of all, were the first to look and pawn behind the hare; but they had not yet moved far towards him, when the Ilaginskaya red-spotted Yerza flew out from behind them, approached the dog at a distance, with terrible speed gave, aiming at the tail of the hare and thinking that she had grabbed him, rolled head over heels. The hare arched its back and pushed even harder. A broad-assed, black-spotted Milka came out from behind Yerza and quickly began to sing to the hare.

Thomas Carlyle, -) - British writer, publicist, historian and philosopher of Scottish origin, author of the multi-volume essays "The French Revolution" (1837), "Heroes, the veneration of heroes and the heroic in history" (1841), "The life story of Frederick II of Prussia" (1858- 65). He professed a romantic "cult of heroes" - exceptional personalities like Napoleon, who fulfill the divine destiny with their deeds and move humanity forward, towering over the crowd of limited inhabitants. Also known as one of the brilliant stylists of the Victorian era.

Start of activity

Born into a simple peasant family; Destined by his strict Calvinist parents for a spiritual career, at the age of 14 he entered the University of Edinburgh. Not wanting to be a priest, after completing his course at the university, he became a mathematics teacher in the provinces, but soon returned to Edinburgh. Here, living on casual literary earnings, for some time he intensively studied law, preparing for the practice of law; but he quickly abandoned this too, becoming carried away by German literature.

Essays on German Literature

A book about the French Revolution. Historical and philosophical views

The same originality as these works is distinguished by the “History of the French Revolution” (“French Revolution, a history”, ), the caustic pamphlet “Chartism” (), lectures on heroes and the heroic in history (“On Hero worship”, ) and historical and philosophical reflections "Past and present" ().

Not suited to any of the established political parties, Carlyle felt lonely and thought for some time about publishing his own magazine to preach his "believing radicalism". All these works of Carlyle are imbued with the desire to reduce the progress of mankind to the life of individual outstanding personalities-heroes (according to Carlyle, world history is the biography of great people), to put exclusively moral duty at the basis of civilization; his political program is limited to the preaching of labor, moral feeling and faith. An exaggerated appreciation of the heroic in history and distrust of the power of institutions and knowledge led him to a formal cult of times past, more favorable to heroic people. His views are brighter than anywhere else, reflected in the twelve "Latter-day pamphlets" ("Latter-day pamphlets",); here he laughs at the emancipation of the Negroes, at democracy, philanthropy, political and economic doctrines, etc. Not only did the former enemies resent Carlyle after these pamphlets, but many admirers also ceased to understand him.

Other historical writings

Throughout the 40s, Carlyle's views changed towards conservatism. Gradually, in the works of Carlyle, the criticism of capitalism sounded more and more muffled, and his statements directed against the actions of the masses - more and more sharply. In the book Before and Now, he painted idyllic pictures of medieval society, where simple noble customs allegedly reigned, a good monarch ensured the well-being and freedom of his subjects, and the church baked about high moral values. It was a romantic utopia that brought Carlyle closer to the feudal socialists. Of all Carlyle's writings, the Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell (1845-46), with commentaries, is of the greatest historical importance; the latter are far from impartial towards the "hero" Cromwell. Carlyle showed in a new way the role of Cromwell in the history of the country, in particular, his merits in the rise of the sea power of England and in strengthening its international prestige. The work was innovative for its time. Until that time, English historians ignored this figure, seeing in him only a “regicide” and a “tyrant”. Carlyle made an attempt to reveal the true motives and significance of Cromwell's state activities. He tried to understand the nature of the revolution itself, but proceeded from the fact that the English Revolution, unlike the French, was of a religious nature and had no "earthly goals." Carlyle's most extensive work is "History of Frederick II" (1858-65), which forced him to take a trip to Germany; with many brilliant qualities, it suffers from great prolongation. Carlyle sings of this "hero-king" and admires the order of feudal Prussia. His Historical and Critical Essays (a collection of journal articles) appeared in the city, and a biography of his friend of his youth, the poet Sterling, appeared in the city. From to the city of Carlyle was busy publishing a complete collection of his works ("Library edition", in 34 volumes). This edition was followed the following year by a cheap People's edition, which was repeated many times. Then he published a series of essays under the title "The First Norwegian Kings" (). In Carlyle, they offered the honorary post of rector of the University of Edinburgh; apart from this position, he never held any position, remaining only a writer all his life. During the Franco-Prussian War, he took the side of Prussia and passionately and sincerely defended her cause in his letters to The Times, published separately (). He died in 1881.

Carlyle and Nazism

The English philosopher Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) was one of those who returned to the idea of ​​the prominent role of individuals, "heroes" in history. One of his most famous works, which had a very strong influence on contemporaries and descendants, was called “Heroes and the Heroic in History” (1840, Russian translation 1891; see also: Carlyle 1994). According to Carlyle, world history is the biography of great men. Carlyle concentrates in his works on certain personalities and their roles, preaches lofty goals and feelings, and writes a number of brilliant biographies. He says much less about the masses. In his opinion, the masses are often only tools in the hands of great personalities. According to Carlyle, there is a kind of historical circle or cycle. When the heroic principle in society weakens, then the hidden destructive forces of the masses can break out (in revolutions and uprisings), and they act until the society again discovers in itself the “true heroes”, leaders (such as Cromwell or Napoleon). Such a heroic approach undoubtedly drew attention to the role of individuals, set (but did not solve) the problem of revealing the reasons for the fluctuations of this role in history. But it had too obvious flaws (besides unsystematic presentation): only “heroes” were considered, society was rigidly divided into leaders and the masses, the causes of revolutions were reduced to social feelings, etc.

Carlyle's views somewhat anticipated the views of Nietzsche with his cult of the superman, and through him, Hitler and other fascist ideologists. Thus Professor Charles Saroli, in his pro-fascist 1938 article "Was Carlyle the First Nazi?", attempts to answer this question in the affirmative in the Anglo-German Review:

The well-known historian Manuel Sarkisyants devoted a separate chapter to the question of Carlyle's influence on the development of Nazi ideas in his book The English Roots of German Fascism.

Compositions

• "Historical and critical experiments"
• "Heroes and the heroic in history" ("Sovremennik" g.)
• "Nibelungen" ("Bibl. for reading" g.).
  • Art. in "Vestn. Europe” (g., books 5 and 6);
  • "The latest English literature"
  • I. Ten; "The Autobiography of D. S. Mill";

Notes

Literature

	Thomas Carlyle at Wikiquote
	Thomas Carlyle at Wikimedia Commons

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
• "Thomas Carlyle and the 'Divine Feldwebels - Instructors in Order' for the Poorest Englishmen" - a chapter from Manuel Sarkisyants' book "The English Roots of German Fascism"
• Engels F. The position of England
• V. G. Sirotkin. THOMAS CARLYLE AND HIS LABOR "FRENCH REVOLUTION. HISTORY"

Categories:

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• Born in 1795
• Deceased in 1881
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• Historians alphabetically
• Historians of Great Britain
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• Philosophers of Great Britain
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• Essayists of Great Britain

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See what "Carlyle, Thomas" is in other dictionaries:

- (Carlyle) Carlyle, Thomas Carlyle (Carlyle, Thomas) (1795 1881) English writer, publicist, historian, philosopher. Born December 4, 1795, Eklfehan. 1814 graduated from the University of Edinburgh. He died February 5, 1881 in London. The author of the concept of the cult of heroes ... Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms

- (Carlyle, Thomas) (1795–1881) Scottish writer, historian and political scientist. Born in Eclefehan (South West Scotland) near the border with England in the family of a master mason, professing Calvinism. Studied at Annan Academy and Edinburgh ... ... Political science. Dictionary.

Carlyle Thomas- (Carlyle, Thomas) (1795 1881), Scotland. historian and publicist. For some time he was a teacher and contributed to the Edinburgh Review, in 1824 he wrote a book. Schiller's life. In 1826 he married Jane Welsh, later a famous writer, ... ... The World History

- (Carlyle) (1795 1881), English publicist, historian and philosopher. He put forward the concept of the "cult of heroes", the only creators of history. * * * CARLYLE Thomas CARLYLE Thomas (1795 1881), English publicist, historian and philosopher. Pushed out... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Thomas Carlyle (eng. Thomas Carlyle, 1795 1881) British (Scottish) writer, historian and philosopher. Contents 1 Beginning of activity ... Wikipedia

Carlyle, Carlyle Thomas (December 4, 1795, Ecclefehan - February 5, 1881, London), English publicist, historian, and philosopher. Graduated from the University of Edinburgh (1814). K.'s worldview was formed under the strong influence of German romanticism and classical ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

- (Carlyle, Thomas) (1795 1881), English writer, philosopher. Born December 4, 1795 in Ecklehen (Scotland). He was brought up in strict Puritan rules, taking from his father, an uneducated bricklayer and farmer, an unshakable conviction in ... ... Collier Encyclopedia

Carlyle, Thomas- (1795 1881) English historian, critic and publicist. He began his literary career with enthusiastic articles on classical poetry and the idealistic philosophy of the Germans. Carlyle looked at history as a product of the creativity of great people. In their… … Historical reference book of a Russian Marxist

British writer, publicist, historian and philosopher of Scottish origin, author of the multi-volume essays The French Revolution (1837), Heroes, Heroic Worship and the Heroic in History (1841), Life History of Frederick II of Prussia (1858-65). He professed a romantic "cult of heroes" - exceptional personalities like Napoleon, who, with their deeds, fulfill the divine destiny and move humanity forward, towering over the crowd of limited inhabitants. Also known as one of the brilliant stylists of the Victorian era.
Born into a simple peasant family; destined by his parents - strict Calvinists for a spiritual career, at the age of 14 he entered the University of Edinburgh. Not wanting to be a priest, after completing his course at the university, he became a mathematics teacher in the provinces, but soon returned to Edinburgh. Here, living on casual literary earnings, for some time he was intensively engaged in law, preparing for the practice of law; but he quickly abandoned this, carried away by German literature.
The translation of Goethe's Wilhelm Meister in 1824 and the Life of Schiller in 1825 were Carlyle's first major works. These were followed by critical analyzes and translations from Jean-Paul.
He read a course of lectures on German literature, in 1838 - on European literature, in 1839 he read on the topic "Revolution in modern Europe." The last time I read the course was in 1840. It was the only published and therefore extant course on the role of the hero in history. The list of heroes itself: Dante, Shakespeare, Luther, Rousseau, Napoleon, Cromwell, etc. These lectures brought some income to Carlyle, and after 1840 he no longer needed money and was rarely able to move him to speak.
The same originality as these works is distinguished by the “History of the French Revolution” (“French Revolution, a history”, 1837), the caustic pamphlet “Chartism” (1839), lectures on heroes and the heroic in history (“On Hero Worship”, 1841) and historical and philosophical reflections "Past and present" (1843).

Not suited to any of the established political parties, Carlyle felt lonely and thought for some time about publishing his own magazine to preach his "believing radicalism". All these works of Carlyle are imbued with the desire to reduce the progress of mankind to the life of individual outstanding personalities-heroes (according to Carlyle, world history is a biography of great people, see The Theory of Great People), to put exclusively moral duty at the basis of civilization; his political program is limited to the preaching of labor, moral feeling and faith. An exaggerated appreciation of the heroic in history and distrust of the power of institutions and knowledge led him to a formal cult of times past, more favorable to heroic people. His views are brighter than anywhere else, reflected in the twelve "Latter-day pamphlets" ("Latter-day pamphlets", 1858); here he laughs at the emancipation of the Negroes, at democracy, philanthropy, political and economic doctrines, etc. Not only did the former enemies resent Carlyle after these pamphlets, but many admirers also ceased to understand him.
Throughout the 1840s, Carlyle's views shifted towards conservatism. Gradually, in the works of Carlyle, criticism of capitalism sounded more and more muffled, and his statements directed against the actions of the masses became more and more sharp. In the book Before and Now, he painted idyllic pictures of medieval society, where simple noble customs allegedly reigned, a good monarch ensured the well-being and freedom of his subjects, and the church baked about high moral values. It was a romantic utopia that brought Carlyle closer to the feudal socialists.
Of all Carlyle's writings, the Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell (1845-46), with commentaries, is of the greatest historical importance; the latter are far from impartial to the "hero" Cromwell. Carlyle showed in a new way the role of Cromwell in the history of the country, in particular, his merits in the rise of the sea power of England and in strengthening its international prestige. The work was innovative for its time. Until that time, English historians ignored this figure, seeing only a “regicide” and a “tyrant” in him. Carlyle made an attempt to reveal the true motives and significance of Cromwell's state activities. He tried to understand the nature of the revolution itself, but proceeded from the fact that the English Revolution, unlike the French, was of a religious nature and had no "earthly goals."
Carlyle's most extensive work is "History of Friedrich II of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great II" (1858-65), which forced him to undertake a trip to Germany. With many brilliant qualities, it suffers from great prolongation. Carlyle sings of this "hero-king" and admires the order of feudal Prussia.
In 1841, being dissatisfied with the policy of the British Library, he initiated the creation of the London Library.
In 1847, his "Historical and Critical Essays" (a collection of journal articles) appeared, in 1851 - a biography of his friend of his youth, the poet Sterling. From 1868 to 1870, Carlyle was busy publishing a complete collection of his works ("Library edition", in 34 volumes). This edition was followed the following year by a cheap "People's edition", which was repeated many times. He went on to publish a series of essays entitled The First Norwegian Kings (1875).
In 1866, Carlyle was offered the honorary position of rector of the University of Edinburgh. In addition to this position, he never held any position, remaining only a writer all his life. During the Franco-Prussian War, he took the side of Prussia and passionately and sincerely defended her cause in his letters to The Times, published separately (1871).
Thomas Carlyle died in 1881.