The classic English statement of rational anarchism, attacking government for failing to promote the general good and for systematizing oppression in the name of law and order

Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and Its Influence on Modern Morals and Happiness

Politics & Social Sciences

Godwin, William

Philosophy

Penguin Classics

Deals with the misdeeds of Tyrrel, a tyrannical country squire, who comes into conflict with Falkland, a neighbouring squire of a seemingly more benevolent disposition. When Tyrrel knocks Falkland down in public and Tyrrel is later found murdered, suspicion falls on Falkland.

Caleb Williams

Literature & Fiction

Literary

In these two closely linked works - a travel book and a biography of its author - we witness a moving encounter between two of the most daring and original minds of the late eighteenth century: "A Short Residence in Sweden" is the record of Wollstonecraft's last journey in search of happiness, into the remote and beautiful backwoods of Scandinavia. The quest for a lost treasure ship, the pain of a wrecked love affair, memories of the French Revolution, and the longing for some Golden Age, all shape this vivid narrative, which Richard Holmes argues is one of the neglected masterpieces of early English Romanticism."Memoirs" is Godwin's own account of Wollstonecraft's life, written with passionate intensity a few weeks after her tragic death. Casting aside literary convention, Godwin creates an intimate portrait of his wife, startling in its candour and psychological truth. Received with outrage by friends and critics alike, and virtually suppressed for a century, it can now be recognized as one of the landmarks in the development of modern biography.

A Short Residence in Sweden, Norway and Denmark and Memoirs of the Author of the Rights of Women

Biographies & Memoirs

WOLLSTONECRAFT, MARY

Community & Culture

One of the great polemics and the key founding anarchist text, Godwin's Enquiry is his major work of political philosophy. Enquiry Concerning Political Justice established William Godwin as the chief exponent of British radicalism, in the tradition of the French Revolution. In it, he criticizes the 'brute engine' of government for systematizing oppression of individual liberty in the name of law and order, and calls for the abolition of all forms of rule and for the institution of an anarchist society based on the principles of simplicity, sincerity and equality. His book influenced everyone from Shelley and Coleridge (who revered him) to Thomas Malthus (who wrote his Essay on the Principle of Population in outraged response to him). The book's ideas would later echo through the writings of thinkers as diverse as Proudhon, Kropotkin, Marx and Thoreau, and it remains one of the great polemics of political literature. William Godwin, the famous philosopher and novelist, was born in East Anglia in 1756. The son of a Presbyterian minister, he was educated to follow in his father's footsteps, but subsequently lost his faith in God. He then devoted himself to writing, expounding his enlightenment and anarchist ideals in novels and essays. In 1797 he married Mary Wollstonecraft, the famous feminist; their daughter would grow up to be Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein. Godwin died in 1836. Isaac Kramnick is the Richard J. Schwartz Professor of Government at Cornell where he has taught since 1972. He has written or edited some twenty books among which his Bolingbroke and His Circle: The Politics of Nostalgia in the Age of Walpole won the Conference of British Studies Prize for best book on British politics.

Enquiry Concerning Political Justice

Penguin Classic

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.
<ul>
<li>Revised introduction examines Godwin's background of religious dissent, the literary and political climate of his times, and his belief in "philosophical anarchism"</li>
<li>Includes a chronology, updated further reading, appendices, and notes</li>
</ul>

Caleb Williams (Penguin Classics)

Reference

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Contemporary

Oxford Univ. Pr.

The story of Caleb Williams (1794) is the first psychological thriller ever written. Caleb Williams, a poor orphan, is employed as a secretary for the wealthy and benevolent country squire, Fernando Falland. Falkland is subject to unexplained fits of melancholy, and soon Caleb becomes convinced that the squire must be hiding a dark secret. Caleb’s obsession with uncovering the truth provokes a suspenseful and disastrous train of events in which he is relentlessly pursued by the vindictive and controlling Falkland. E. J. Black has written an abridgement of Caleb Williams that is true to the original work in terms of mood and tone. He has captured all the essential parts of Godwin's most important novel, so that the reader can enjoy a faster pace for this powerful tale of the pursuit of an innocent man by a man of power. Our Monmouth Press abridged edition includes the preface and the author's memoirs exactly as they were published in the original 1832 edition.

Genre Fiction

Oxford University Press

St. Leon, William Godwin's second novel, is a work of challenging ambition. Set during the Protestant Reformation, it tells the harrowing tale of an exiled French aristocrat who is given the secrets of the philosopher's stone and the elixer of life. His attempts to use these gifts to benefit humanity lead only to disaster, plunging him into self-destructive isoloation and arousing fascination, suspicion, and social unrest wherever he goes. It is a tale of obsession and spiralling pursuit, emphasizing the individual's powerlessness in the face of momentous historical change.

St. Leon (The ^AWorld's Classics)

British & Irish

Enquiry concerning political justice,: With selections from Godwin's other writings;

Clarendon P.

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.

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Books by Godwin, William

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Godwin, William. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and Its Influence on Modern Morals and Happiness

Caleb Williams

A Short Residence in Sweden, Norway and Denmark and Memoirs of the Author of the Rights of Women

Enquiry Concerning Political Justice

Caleb Williams (Penguin Classics)

Caleb Williams

Caleb Williams

St. Leon (The ^AWorld's Classics)

Enquiry concerning political justice,: With selections from Godwin's other writings;

Enquiry Concerning Political Justice