The Majesty of the People: Popular Sovereignty and the Role of the Writer in the 1790s
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Author Description
The Majesty of the People links emerging Romantic ideas about the role of the writer to the ambivalence of the concept of popular sovereignty. By closely examining how theories about the role of the intellectual or the writer are developed as part of the 1790s' contestation of the concept of the majesty of the people, Georgina Green provides a coherent account of debates about popular sovereignty, and contributes to understanding of authorship and the rise of 'culture' in this period. Part one, 'the political existence of the people', shows how the history of ideas about the political role of the people in the eighteenth century meant there was a role for writers and organisations who could challenge the invisibility of the 'people out of doors'. Part two, 'the sovereignty of justice' shows how this urge to give the people a tangible form was moderated by the tension between the sovereignty of will and the sovereignty of justice, a tension foregrounded by Revolutionary France and addressed in the writing of Thomas Paine, Helen Maria Williams, and William Godwin. Part three analyses how this potential tension between popular sovereignty and absolute values such as reason, justice or divinity pressurizes Wordsworth and Coleridge's conception of their role as writers. These enquiries demonstrate the impact of the idea of the Majesty of the People in the 1790s and in emerging conceptions of the role of culture in society.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates how the political concept of popular sovereignty in the 1790s shaped the evolving definition of the writer's role in society. Georgina Green, an academic specialist in 18th-century literature, utilizes a historical analysis of political theory and literary production to argue that the tension between the 'sovereignty of will' and the 'sovereignty of justice' forced writers to redefine their public function. By examining the works of figures such as Thomas Paine, William Godwin, and the early Romantics, the book demonstrates how the intellectual became a mediator for the political agency of the populace.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of 18th-century political discourse regarding the 'people out of doors'.
- Examination of the tension between revolutionary will and absolute moral justice.
- Case studies on Thomas Paine, Helen Maria Williams, William Godwin, William Wordsworth, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
- A framework for understanding the emergence of 'culture' as a distinct social category.
Scope Limits
- The study is strictly confined to the political and literary climate of the 1790s.
- It does not provide a comprehensive biography of the authors mentioned, focusing instead on their specific political writings.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars in the field of Romantic-era studies recognize this text as a rigorous examination of the intersection between political theory and literary history. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for an audience familiar with 18th-century political philosophy and literary criticism.
Page Count:
256
Publication Date:
2014-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191003077
ISBN-13:
9780191003073
History
English & College Success
English
Literary Criticism
British literature
18th century
Romanticism
Political Philosophy