Thomas Carlyle, Scotland's Migrant Philosophers, and Canadian Idealism, c. 1870–1914

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-56
Author(s):  
Alexander Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
The State ◽  
Thomas Carlyle ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Ethical Role ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Late Nineteenth ◽  
British Idealism

That the great Scottish man of letters Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) exercised a formative influence over late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century ‘British Idealism’ has long been recognized by historians. Through works such as Sartor Resartus (1833–1834), Heroes and Hero-Worship (1841), Past and Present (1843), and Latter-Day Pamphlets (1850), Carlyle transmitted his ideas regarding the immanence of the divine in nature and man, the infinite character of duty, and the ethical role of the state to a generation of subsequent philosophers. The following article will extend this insight, arguing that through the agency of an array of migrant Scottish intellectuals, Carlyle's writings made an equally significant contribution to the development of Idealism in English-speaking Canada.

Thomas Carlyle, Scotland’s Migrant Philosophers, and Australasian Idealism

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Thomas Carlyle ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Ethical Role ◽  
Late Nineteenth ◽  
British Idealism ◽  
Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract That the great Scottish man of letters Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) exercised a formative influence over late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century ‘British Idealism’ has long been recognized by historians. Through works such as Sartor Resartus (1833–1834), Heroes and Hero-Worship (1841), Past and Present (1843), and Latter-Day Pamphlets (1850), Carlyle transmitted his ideas regarding the immanence of the divine in nature and man, the infinite character of duty, and the ethical role of the state to a generation of subsequent philosophers. The following article will extend this insight, arguing that through the agency of an array of migrant Scottish intellectuals, Carlyle’s writings made an equally significant contribution to the development of Idealism in Australia and New Zealand. In doing so, the article draws upon not only published treatises and monographs, but also speeches as reported in the local press, unpublished doctoral dissertations, and, in one notable case, archival sources. Together, these demonstrate beyond doubt the important and enduring contribution of Thomas Carlyle to Australasian Idealism.

The Reluctant Planner

2019 ◽  
pp. 127-144
Author(s):  
Julia Moses
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Welfare Policy ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
The State ◽  
Social Rights ◽  
Intellectual Biography ◽  
Role Of The State

T. H. Marshall’s claims that the twentieth century was the era of social rights, embodied in education and welfare policy, has found enduring favour with a wide variety of scholars and social commentators. To what extent, however, was his theory of citizenship and social rights a reflection of the specific moment in which he was writing? This chapter places T. H. Marshall’s concept of ‘citizenship’ within its historical context. Through examining his biography, this essay suggests that Marshall’s theory of citizenship was informed by an appreciation for continental, and especially German, conceptions of social policy, the role of the state, and the nature of community. Parsing this aspect of Marshall’s intellectual biography has important implications for our own understanding of British ideas about the purpose, structure, and scope of social policy during the formative middle decades of the twentieth century.

The Economy

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim Tomlinson
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
The State ◽  
Economic Life ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
British Economy ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Late Nineteenth

This chapter falls into two unequal parts. The first charts, broadly chronologically, the shifting understandings, historical and historiographical, of the role of the state in economic life. The second focuses on debates about the performance of the economy, especially notions of ‘decline’ which have been central to those debates since the late nineteenth century. Variegated but overlapping senses of ‘decline’, originating in very specific historical circumstances, have overshadowed much writing on the modern British economy, with, it will be argued, often detrimental effects on our understanding. Such notions need to be historicized—placed firmly in the intellectual, ideological, and above all political contexts within which they arose.

2. Politics and the State

2020 ◽  
pp. 25-48
Author(s):  
Robert Garner
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Identity Politics ◽  
The State ◽  
The Other ◽  
New Right ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Empirical Typology ◽  
Distribution Of Power

This chapter explains why the state and sovereignty are relevant to the study of politics. It first provides an empirical typology of the state, ranging from the minimalist night-watchman state, approximated to by nineteenth-century capitalist regimes at one end of the spectrum, to the totalitarian state of the twentieth century at the other. It then examines the distribution of power in the state by focusing on three major theories of the state: pluralism, elitism, Marxism, as well as New Right theory. The chapter seeks to demonstrate that the theories of the state identified can also be critiqued normatively, so that pluralism, for instance, can be challenged for its divisive character, as exemplified by identity politics. It then goes on to review different views about what the role of the state ought to be, from the minimalist state recommended by adherents of classical liberalism, to the pursuit of distinctive social objectives as recommended, in particular, by proponents of communitarianism. Finally, it discusses empirical and normative challenges to the state and asks whether the state’s days are numbered.

Planning history, planning reform and politics and ideology

2020 ◽  
pp. 63-80
Author(s):  
Tim Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Electoral Politics ◽  
The State ◽  
Planning System ◽  
Planning History ◽  
Planning Policy ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Government

A brief survey of the history of planning shows how both the early days of planning, based in health and housing concerns, and the formation of the planning system in the early twentieth century were entwined in ideological struggles over the role of the state and the attitudes to property. The operation of that system has been equally saturated with ideological pressures. A brief study follows of the 2010-2015 UK government, as a case example of approaches to analysing political and ideological influences on the making and implementing of planning policy. It is shown that this government’s attitude to planning was dominated by its ideological agenda of cutting back the state, with a sub-agenda of a form of localism. The importance of pressure politics and electoral politics is also illustrated, at times not in full synchrony with the wider ideological drives of the government.

Hayek, Keynes, and the Economic Role of the State

2020 ◽  
pp. 32-50
Author(s):  
Vito Tanzi
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The State ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Welfare Policies ◽  
Economic Role ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Government Role

The chapter considers how two economic giants of the twentieth century saw the economic role of the market, comparing Hayek’s trust in the market with Keynes’ growing doubts about its role. There are areas where they strongly disagreed but also many areas of convergence. The greatest divergence in their positions was in the role of government in stabilizing policies. It can be said that these two economists actually had less extreme views that many assume they did. Keynes’ views were less socialist than many assume while Hayek’s views were less conservative. Hayek theorized a government role in regulations vis-à-vis the environment and vis-à-vis guaranteeing a low income for the poor; Keynes was against high taxes and was relatively indifferent to welfare policies.

scholarly journals State Corporations and Structural Changes in the Economy

Upravlenie ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 12-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Дементьев ◽  
Viktor Dyemyentyev
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
The State ◽  
Long Term Results ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Structural Shifts

The article focuses attention on a possible contribution of the state corporations to long-term results of economic development. It is shown that such corporations can make the significant contribution to ensuring dynamic efficiency of economy, to implementation of structural shifts in production. The role of the state corporations in formation of the infrastructure necessary for wide use of essentially new technologies is analyzed. This work has been financially supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grants № 14-06-00164).

1. Politics and the State

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Garner
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Twentieth Century ◽  
The State ◽  
The Other ◽  
New Right ◽  
Classical Liberalism ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Empirical Typology ◽  
Distribution Of Power

This chapter explains why the state and sovereignty are relevant to the study of politics. It first provides an empirical typology of the state, ranging from the minimalist night-watchman state, approximated to by nineteenth-century capitalist regimes at one end of the spectrum, to the totalitarian state of the twentieth century at the other. It then examines the distribution of power in the state by focusing on three major theories of the state: pluralism, elitism, Marxism, and the New Right theory. It also considers different views about what the role of the state ought to be, from the minimalist state recommended by adherents of classical liberalism, to the pursuit of distinctive social objectives as recommended, in particular, by proponents of communitarianism. Finally, it discusses empirical and normative challenges to the state and asks whether the state's days are numbered.

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