(CARLYLE'S CONCEPTION OF HISTORY Unie of Worm 4. A. Froode, an Raglah Nntoran woing tn 1840 eased Cayo as ono ‘of the tno moet grostly gifted men then living in Bogan, (he other wat ‘Carina! Newmon). He H. Hatton in his Esp om some of the modern guide of npish ough te matters of oh pba in 1887 wrote: (or sry sss ofr ia dat Cpe wa to Hagan what hi great are, oth, eng aro Gera ~ th igh weno perl eget cn enn ng ‘tr ocy tg ater, al eget anda, (ton 1861-2, Crile nmallyconsieoe a Vitorian. Hie nfuenc x is owe tins wae ‘curso Ts beg withthe sacees of The French Relation (res pabishod {2 1897) and unt ie dent n INH ho wa overeat o age, But many ees modi him with the Romantic Age, athe was bors in 1795, tho sane 30" {2 John Kest, and os Savior rezarus — Casiyo’s ously work in which is ‘hilomphy ees formated, and which atclpated Ln all eset the Diol of is ater development was written in 1800 1891. ‘Obrionely Carlyle has may things in common with Romanticism. Fist ‘fl, he has 8 common enemy inthe estonalism of te eighteenth century. Ti ho realm of philosophy he attacks rationalise sod vensuabm, and in a thetic mattes he sate on the se of Renanticen nginet the Teles ‘Agninet the rosonalitic explanations of the erative prosem of the art, ‘aint a marzow feral, against the suporeon of Ungiaaton,eblinity fed wend, But the ft imei oper I ee fal of oman thought Cacgle showed a deop ditt of Romantica. His ‘rutin tase an he srg thing sont Carpe esha the man ‘rho fought withthe probloma ofthe late eighteenth century deteraized in Ia aya the thought and the art of the Knglsh ninetenth century. Ab ‘René Welle sayn —insleetslly Cars stands hafore the time of he ral ‘Romanticion nad chrnoloically after the tide of the Bomantics — he8 steno ‘Mumintes both tho roote of Hx Ronuaticim and its dying Nous (Wetlek 195581), AL the dovtglnoo it wems that Care shazee the Homantie cro as far 4s his conoeptian of history is eonseraed. Caiye cartanly ba idels, 1he yrenchos tho Sroodowe ofthe wil he out of calloctivite orgnnieaton ‘of socity ad sing tho alia in poeta epirtion sad the metaphyeeal ‘messing of art ae revelation of the abeolte. He ton ory a vine pla hich is nothing but a slfrovelation of the will of God, whch is vont ‘opyoned tothe moet popular bai of the eightoonth century, Te is suprising thet each suthor examining the hiotisl concepts of ative pointe at «diferent philosopher and st» differ theory wa Cat's Intelleinal ancoiry in question of historiography and phlosopiy of history Hill Shine, for exampie, wees fundamental affnty worn Cass tory of Kstry aud thet of Sint Simonians (Shine 2041) Other efor point at iogel, Herder or Fichto ond thai argumente nom quite coving, Ad hin iti Doutse ofthe fet Welle exposed in his Confontations, Hi aye that Carlyle Iemped the German philmphy of history together without ing interested in individual shadon of preseatatons: he nty elated anything which seme to him Wofaedetohed metaphyeen. Ad it lke ‘hat Caryl mst thew idoas ont inthe context of trict pilosphie of Kstory Hl found them rather seater and died in many Gon histovis on ‘erry histori ofthe time. Hor iwtasoe many of Heras ews on the pila sophy of hisory Carlyle found varfoany cotiaed ad eahaped in Goethe, in the Germaa Romsntice snd in German and BnglishWierery historian he had cea inhi youth The idee of parody for sastanco wis inthe ai” ‘audit particule forultion by Cael can badly be derived frm one mt (Wea 106s 2) ‘As the begining of the ninetenth eectury thers waa a poplar trend ‘in plowphy both in Ragland and in Garmany which was neitheenaturlotic ‘ot ‘ealitic. I he been variouly labled a "hitain or “orgalogy ‘sd one of it: tranches has been called “hidorisol soo!” Hs atin ditin. auiahing fertares ace. 1) The streur cn invidualty (ander iniidoaity the shacuctestic unique- now of «nation or» perio ineladed), 2) The concept of developaent which in very diferent from ear sd Iter raturliie evolutionary emepts, (ti an unpredictable development ‘eth no definite ait in etry) 2) Fis metho i nace, is haart, attire and even dvinatory (Well 1086: 87), Aa we int all thew features in Cars wstngs 2 lo teens inva ‘ky, the myatery of the inidanl, hia physognony, mental and physical, the nstionalshuractr of Hterataear the difreoos among ages. Hl coucopt Coys conan of hisary 19, nd th in age sevens Sees eas te eal el eee adit pad oi cots na a dr ei in ai i fe cer te en sr cin it eri sas Soc tr eke Sas SA Sd See as kt hts a et sae See yas rca ia ae Mia ah a Eee ioe Seca Searhces Le Suen to Cee Tw aimety hi ate se eh nl ai ae SE nmpaahaeymyeey Cle Sip eghaers obSetheki ae ete SI See a Ret tee er fa Sania ann ar ce Rr oo Sareea Sot Se are See neta So Sxeirenanctiemt a ‘apt noe gn pt sed ec Se ae SoS mas (Grea em ar napa pking nl ing) Tete of hat vine BOOK OF RE. LYELATION whecite Chop sesomphind fomepoc op any ane ne ie ae (Cuiyte ata. But itis ther difelt to undersend what Corie meant by the term hero" Aer veading Om erat, herosworeip od he hero i hoy Use oder ‘sil face that Cayo’ conception ea Title confusing and coer not to avo teen firmly grounded on n eer defini. And Uti pobably why Carl's rent mon and heroce are cometimer misinterpreted. Some suthors spon f thom aa Nictrchean superren or think of Carlyle as an ealy prophet ‘of Fascism. Hut the more carefol reader of Carlyle see Ut Carle's heroes ‘amnot be even compere to Nitzan muperten, out the moral ard, ‘beyond good and vil because they are nat egtita — they are rather astra ante of G's wil, executors of dove which i not oftheir om hoodie180, ‘aranuters sd dows ot sar ther individal purposes. Hie hoes ane always repee= sentative me, the “aynapae and eto” af ther age oa he cals or i a ‘esa on Bosal (Carte 1808: vol I 0), They are tho prophets Bed Mahomet, Chris; the posts — Dante, Goethe, Shakespeare Data the man of eters — Johmaon of Rowen, Bat they aoe above al the king, sok sud governos: Caer, Cromwell, Feederick und Napoleon, ‘The thoory of heros is only one aapect of Calves theory of hitary which in otherwise, not at all individualistic and wlomisie rive toneeivee of osiety ne a whole, as a “coletive indiidanl”, His aeticle on "Hhaony™ (rite in 1890) actually centres om the argent that "bes and sare snus pes away like taern-beavla” and thst real history is made by ‘he forgtien train of artists und wetisun” who huve shaped the “inventions snd traditions and daly hsbite that ogalate and muppert ou extenee™ (Carlyle 1898: vol. TE 86-81). A lant here Cape cnapproven of Mstorce treo only polities and diplomacy and ecoaimente the wating of isto of religion and bit, of inventions, pilosphy and Htertee, rie lane can be the bas of «futur pilompty of story” On th oes Fuad he errs some hist books for asgloting the rn! "ie of Man As it han already Deen wait beter, Carlge's soneption of development ‘i comioualy unsintito and oven antnentfe. Te difers radical, fom ‘hat of moder postive; Conile never attemyio to eatin Lave of storia evolution a, fr instance, Comte di, Ho nove thought af etal edition ofthe fata, he had no oneopt of the aim of istry. Me eee ‘he eaual and genetie methods of expnation, ‘The process of development elf i often sonosived of on the agro ‘oalogy of human life and ita ages, Th one ef hha mays Case nse uae that “socity i te pecode of weknoas and vigour, of youth and menton ecrepitue,Asoation and new birth” (Caige 1840: wo TE. 82), Tn Sartor ‘sartve Cie intzoduors the metaphor of th phoenix for sity (Carie 1097: 29, Carll’ frequent repented las that Kirtan’ hat no dete goa sd ‘is attitude towards the past in Post ond prurnt caused that some even (Wlector ©. Macpherson 1897 among the) thought that his Invrprtation fa a sil referer en ‘he book appeared. Carlyle cond do no more thu fll the moder retro ‘he aptit of the feudal period, when the poole were ll by the aatocicy. ‘The book hd no mesage to the world beyond the vaguely declanatay ‘ne that those nations which forget Cox will bo turned trl (Maepherson 1807: 180), But in is ther books and asap Carle speak of grogtan ‘we must not forget his Ides of pelingenesis sod is conception sly, Carlyle’ conception of history. wet ‘the metuyhor of the phoenix, and the endenying message of Sartor remus whisk i that change is prorews. In one of his mays Carle jeoornced ‘the Yiw thet “in all mes, the happiness wnd grsthon of manned et lange Inve heen continually progresive"™ (Caio. 1890: vol. I. $7). Tho alow ‘continuous development of greet collective farses aeeus tho stra concept ‘of in Nstocea view of tho wold. He known no end to history. Cally Carlie avoed the ptf the rigid eastrctions ofboth Hegel and Cmts: he knew no dialectics nor true stages of progres, But ccesinally et sands the ooept of slow snd comtiziour development and somedines he thinks of history ae intrrpted by convulsions and etareopes, revel. tions rather than evolution, out of which society arises anew, completly rewmade, lke phocnx (Cle 1057: 23 - 208) An the proces of history san “ever ving, orerwonking Chas of Being”, the inatisnal tide of thought and action the heron with his natalie cthod is at dindvantage, The “estee and effet” take “narrative linea ‘while all “action is soll” ie extended in breadth and opt a well as in lengsh” whe says in, cue of his eenays (Cagle 1860: vol IE. 88) This “mighty tide of thought and action” ia ultimately mysterious and eonuwe ofits mysterious realty, worthy of rereruce snd eovptanoy. Calle gee 19 fr to aay that “nhatsooves has exited ha a vale, ythout some ‘rath and worth ying in tho thing could not have hing together” (Cryle 1909; vol. IIL 10), The ane af the ary fat thet snuething wee once real ‘od te, inspires much of Carpi’ diteut of fletion and reverence for histary. ‘Bat in hie writings Orie was never able to keep consent to th histox- ‘eal pint of view. He always introduced « set of ohio staudande which are not derived ftom history itself and which prevent him from jung ‘he individeality of «moan of timo by Sts own ibecenteiteria. The Preeh Revolution ie cnceived in Cagle ab an outreak of the dacmeonie lement in man, a steggle of God and tho Devi, as untretion ofthe law of rete ion, sen exempifention of Go’ particular povidance (Well 1966 108) ‘The question of Cari’ "histrical wae” and ponition oa biserian ‘onnot be dacied by argumeate whish show that Carle took great trouble ‘stay the sourow ad was acoording to the standard the tt an norato sclas. ia lack of historical insight mppeese in is miiterpetation cf tho ‘urncer of Frederis sho Great whom he exalted aa 4 hens of trthivloees ‘nd lth, Tei tre tat Curly’ rations payebologyreegaleng thst man's ‘sctions ace not wlely determined by reason and erwinalheppinee dhs divintory method saved him fom the mltakes cf mocheightenth cntry \isoriograpliy which ound everywhere consis intention aed esloltions ‘Bat bir senso of individuality seems to be too mach exaggerated by hin en ‘huss, Carlyle rely eater w man’ mind eympatieicaly: he fequealyod mR in content with sketching hi external physlgnony. His manow range of derstanding i inital a contradiction of the te “historical spin Tt ‘stooimts for hin adormtion of ese power which eomce out in his stile tthe Kish o Polish question (oppoval of partitions in Rredrick the ren) (Wella 1005 108-110. ash of Caipes historical books served a definite timely purpose: he Frosch Rnauton seam 0 bo writen to wara England of ine od exhort it to woeial remponstlty, Otome! nae palit the ict of the desire leader the asonunt of Jouain of Brakelo in Past and present evokes dal ‘opin, and even Bredoick We Great x held up se rde-king and ruler ‘aries Matra writing connot be ax Yo exemplify hie thery of story In hin theory he adopted many of the ideas merely o¢ weapons fgniat the enemy of eghteanth oontary rationalism, but never ensiilated ‘hon in his proton, Caryl’ moralistic wn daalietie conception of hstary fn battlefield of God and the Dev which was wover absent fom his etal ‘racioe consequently gined the per had in in Iter wing but 1 was ever clearly formulated in hls hear. “Though many eter doprive Carle of & “historical nse” hia insight {nto some featmes of the hiorial proces may’ be dagper than that of the Tato of the incteenth centarg, He corectly diagnosed the weaknones and exposed the hypooriny of Victorian "amoerscy”, its tuperSialeoopton of Geodom and its ence upon Iisa faite ennoinies {Wiley 1000: 130) Cactle pomrsed a viionary poms, be had the ewarenses ‘ofthe dsparticebotween the Adal snd tho actus, the real ad the mor. “Rema pons, tinge and event in » spectral sn visionary ight ad fore this kind of innightepreng much ofthe Power of his Netoscal work (Wiley pee: 181 189), nig 7 500. Cia ad maou eae, Landon Chapa on Hal a ye ef Pade ra oa pn = ARB A Nery of te Proc Raotion Lip: Bara Tae = 8: Oy hear, he hp ethan try Carb: Unter Pr ii: Pt na rn, ond Ch se Ta = hip Since masts ow Vora Hc Prob, A. 18h Car Mer Ae Ye Landon. Cros Longa ‘ts orga aon ena 1) nin WT 0. TM Petrin fm of mn, Now Ma: Yao Uy aeprenedees = ‘ata, Rol 1882, Big on we of he mr raf Bg gh mater ‘of jst Lomo: Moin ne Oo Tc. 16, Thon arg: Loin Osha Ando, Nol J Be Temas Carpe Londons Malan Oo. ‘Shinn Ge args on te Bane Sinise opt Nr pry, Tair ha Johar Hops Peo \Waash be. Connon, Pros aivnity Pre Wiley, B, Ion. Nina ontery suit, Hammond: Pregun,Host i ao “Zan ot Cte and Wd