Thomas Carlyle Biography
Scottish Historian, Philosopher, Critic and Essayist
Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881), a Scottish writer, historian, philosopher, essayist and critic, wrote many influential books on history, philosophy and society. He is well-known for his books The History of Frederick the Great and The French Revolution.
Carlyle insisted on the importance of the individual, the private life of service by the ordinary people, and heroism by the leader. Like Ralph Waldo Emerson, he also influenced the transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau.
Early Life of Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was born on December 4, 1795, in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, of a strict Calvinist family, and was expected by his parents to become a minister. At 15, he went to Edinburgh University. There he studied to become a minister, but while doing so developed an interest in German philosophy, which greatly affected his thinking. He lost his Christian faith, although his Calvinist values remained.
Although in the early 1800s, the age of enlightenment was waning, many Victorians were still struggling with scientific and political changes that challenged the traditional order of society. At the age of 24, Carlyle supported himself by working as a private tutor. He also started contributing articles to magazines. His essays on German philosophy introduced many new ideas to the British public. Among his early works, he produced a translation of a work by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, which was highly acclaimed.
The Focused-Writing Years
After marrying in 1826, Carlyle settled at his wife's farm and concentrated on his writing. He established his reputation at age 38 when he published Sartor Resartus. Part autobiography, part philosophy, it is written using an energetic, complex language that came to be called "Carlylese."
Later, after moving to London, Carlyle wrote his most famous work, The French Revolution. The book brings the history of the French Revolution alive with its rich and dramatic language that few historians have ever done. When he had finished the manuscript, it was accidentally burned by a domestic servant. Carlyle rewrote the book. It was published when he was 42.
Lectures and More Writing
From 1837, Carlyle undertook several series of lectures of which the most successful was On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History, Heroic in History, published in 1841. Chartism dealt with contemporary agitation and outlined Carlyle's views on the political and social problems of the day. Then this was followed by his other works. However, an immense amount of effort was spent on his most ambitious work, The History of Frederick the Great.
Last Years
Carlyle stopped writing during his last years, having lost the use of his right hand. He died at the age of 85, on February 5, 1881. His grave is in Ecclefechan as he wished, although his friends wanted him buried at Westminster Abbey.
Books by Thomas Carlyle
- Sartor Resartus, 1833
- The French Revolution, 1837
- Chartism, 1839
- On Heroes and Hero Worship, 1841
- Past and Present, 1843
- Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches, 1845
- Latter-Day Pamphlets, 1850
- Frederick the Great, 1858-1865
Sources:
Biographical Dictionary, edited by Una McGovern, Chambers, 2002
Dictionary of Writers, edited by Rosemary Goring, Larousse, 1994
The Cambridge Literature in English, New Edition, edited by Ian Ousby,Cambridge, 1993
Thomas Carlyle
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