The Philosophical Background of Romanticism
We can find two major philosophical groups in the Romantic epoch from 1790- 1850:
The first philosophical one consisted of supporters of the French Revolution also known as the "radicals". In this first group Thomas Paine and William Godwin were the main figures who made their ideas known to the rulers and the people. Thomas Paine supported the American Independence. His "The Rights of Man" that criticized the English government for the way they dealt with the Americans´ striving for Independence, was so forceful that he himself was exiled, and his bookseller Joseph Johnson was jailed. His first pamphlet "Common Sense" was irresistible in its simplicity, and in "The Crisis", written to be read to the discouraged American troops retreating across New Jersey in the dismal winter of 1776, he made such a forceful call for action that it is quoted even now by many who do not even know the source.
Thomas Paine published his reflections "The Rights of Man" and explained that every age and generation had to be as free to act for themselves, as the ages and generations which preceded it.
Of all political and economic thinkers Godwin was the most versatile, talented, productive, intellectually significant, and politically harmless.
In 1793 Godwin published "An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Political Justice, and its Influence on General Virtue and Happiness". He opposed revolution and he propagated passivity because he was essentially a moralist and philosopher rather than a political activist. So we can sum up that the ‘radicals’ criticized existing society and the political control by the government. The supporters of the French Revolution struggled for a social contract, to give the individual more power. The two philosophers expressed their political opinions with feelings and emotions in their writings. That means that these writers not only presented facts, but also included emotional impressions and feelings in their texts.
That is typical of Romanticism.
The second main philosophical one consisted of the opponents to any revolutionary ideas, the "Traditionalists". They wanted the rulers to resist revolutionary thoughts and their supporters and they tried to retain the existing political system.
One of the most famous traditionalists was Edmund Burke, the founder of modern conservatism. He began with the common assumption that government should provide the structure which both restrains individuals and enables them to find fulfilment. In "Reflections" Burke explains that it is "a contrivance of human wisdom to provide human wants". He supported America´s fight against the crown but he was an opponent of the French Revolution. He stood for the strengthening of the individual but wanted to support the policy of the government at that time. Edmund Burke also stood up for the poor people and he was a very productive writer. Even those who condemned Burke´s attitude toward the poor and the helpless, appreciated his rhetorical skill and his verbal power.
Another popular writer and philosopher was Jeremy Bentham and in his lifetime he strove for a revolution in the English society. While radical thinkers such as Paine and Godwin supported the natural rights of the individual, Bentham valued security higher than liberty, and a just and functioning legal system, laws and institutions.
Recognizing that people tend to make mistakes, Bentham devoted his most productive years and entire fortune to dealing with the problems of crime. The third known philosopher of the traditionalists was Robert Malthus. He was an unpopular person and became the villain of the Romantic generation because he wanted to reduce the population of England for he thought there were not enough food and jobs for all the people so he made himself very unliked.
Malthus´s interpretation of the economy of nature was concrete, simple, brutal, obvious: man´s sexual appetites, his power of procreation, exceeded the power of nature to provide food; the population increased at a faster rate than the production of food. That is why Malthus wanted to reduce the English population.
In the end we can say that these people did not want to reform the policy at that time but they wanted to strengthen the individual.
Verfasser: Finn Kraft, Denis Güven