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William Godwin

Sort Name
Godwin, William
Ratings
No reviews
Type
Person
Gender
Male
Date of birth
1756-03-03
Place of birth
Wisbech
Date of death
1836-04-07
Place of death
London

Wikipedia

William Godwin (3 March 1756 – 7 April 1836) was an English journalist, political philosopher and novelist. He is considered one of the first exponents of utilitarianism and the first modern proponent of anarchism. Godwin is most famous for two books that he published within the space of a year: An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, an attack on political institutions, and Things as They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams, an early mystery novel which attacks aristocratic privilege. Based on the success of both, Godwin featured prominently in the radical circles of London in the 1790s. He wrote prolifically in the genres of novels, history and demography throughout his life.

In the conservative reaction to British radicalism, Godwin was attacked, in part because of his marriage to the feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft in 1797 and his candid biography of her after her death from childbirth. Their daughter, later known as Mary Shelley, would go on to write Frankenstein and marry the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. With his second wife, Mary Jane Clairmont, Godwin set up The Juvenile Library, allowing the family to write their own works for children (sometimes using noms de plume) and translate and publish many other books, some of enduring significance. Godwin has had considerable influence on British literature and literary culture.

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Annotation

English journalist, political philosopher and novelist.

Last modified: 2020-10-04 (revision #29334)

Identifiers

Goodreads Author ID
113910
ISNI
0000 0001 0911 7828
LibraryThing Author
godwinwilliam
OpenLibrary Author ID
OL34194A
VIAF
68929729
Wikidata ID
Q188569

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Last Modified
2023-08-26