The History of the Life of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham as the basis for William Godwin’s moral and ethical concepts
Pages: 159-165 | DOI: 10.37724/RSU.2026.90.1.016 | UDK: 821.111«17»
Seregina M.A.
Ryazan State University named for S. A. Yesenin
Abstract
The article focuses on the first large non-fiction work of the philosopher, political journalist and writer William Godwin – the pamphlet The History of the Life of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham. The aim of the research is to investigate the process of William Godwin’s moral and ethical concepts formation on the basis of his early works. The article touches upon such key notions as benevolence, historical impartiality, pacifism and Natural Man which underlie the moral, ethical and philosophical approach of the writer. The connection of these notions to the French Enlightenment and their role in the writer’s later works are studied. In addition, Godwin’s pamphlet is analyzed from the stylistic point of view in order to denote the writer’s stylistic and aesthetic approach. The author of the article comes to the conclusion that Godwin’s moral and ethical views are considerably influenced by the ideas of French Enlightenment and the writer’s biography and general historical context. These views are expressed both in Godwin’s early fiction and non-fiction and, though considerably changed, still apply to the later works. The writer’s style shows both sentimental and pre-romantic influence. The research can be used for further analysis of William Godwin’s non-fiction and as a basis for a comprehensive view of the whole scope of his works.
Keywords: benevolence, French Enlightenment, historical impartiality, natural man, William Godwin
Funding:
none
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