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Harvard Classics Volume 25: Autobiography, Etc., Essays And Addresses, J.S. Mill, T. Carlyle
Compiled and Edited by Charles W. Eliot LL D in 1909, the Harvard Classics is a 51-volume Anthology of classic literature from throughout the history of western civilization. The set is sometimes called "Eliot's Five-Foot Shelf."
Volume 25 contains 5 works from John Stuart Mill and Thomas Carlyle:
Autobiography by John Stuart Mill
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill
Characteristics by Thomas Carlyle
Inaugural Address at Edinburgh by Thomas Carlyle
Sir Walter Scott by Thomas Carlyle
Volume 25 contains 5 works from John Stuart Mill and Thomas Carlyle:
Autobiography by John Stuart Mill
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill
Characteristics by Thomas Carlyle
Inaugural Address at Edinburgh by Thomas Carlyle
Sir Walter Scott by Thomas Carlyle
- GenresClassics
476 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1909
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70 people want to read
About the author
Charles William Eliot
429 books82 followersCharles William Eliot was an American academic who was selected as Harvard's president in 1869. He transformed the provincial college into the preeminent American research university. Eliot served the longest term as president in the university's history.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 7, 2022
I have to admit firstly that I was pleasantly surprised at the shortness of this volume. On the other hand, Thomas Carlyle was actually a quite enjoyable read.
Characteristics was impressive. Most notable were statements like "Unconsciousness is the sign of creation; Consciousness, at best, that of manufacture." Then comments about view-hunting in contemporary literature (which he later applied without that word to Walter Scott). Another worthwhile comment that a healthy person doesn't think about health, while a sick person is always thinking of such.
The Inaugural Address reminded me of Mark Twain, with lots of inciteful and humorous jibes. He pointed out that university taught him to read, so that he could penetrate and master any department that suited himself. He says history is an important subject for everyone. What is beyond understanding in every age, the unknown, underlies all human endeavor. He did favor, even in democracy, like early Rome, that a dictator could be necessary at times to correct the errors of the mass of humanity, which I think might be difficult to control, as it was for later Rome. He found hereditary peerage of value, but did not deny that the rabble might produce genius. And, many other interesting ideas, in particular, education itself.
The final selection, Sir Walter Scott, was the longest and most difficult to fully comprehend. Of course, I had no idea who he was, so there is that. Many pages discussed the seven volume biography by Lockhart. The point seemed to be that one book was sufficient, unless the idea was more to sell books than to tell of a life, similar to some of my comments on the modern trend in fiction, which I didn't realize was long in existence. Quite a bit of text on many other prominent people that Scott hung with, most of whom I have never encountered even in reading or history. Carlyle praised and denigrated Scott's style, or ready-writing, writing a book every year, without much thought into a character's internals, but much ado about their appearance (view-hunting). Apparently, Scott had three periods of writing, lyrical romances, prose romances, and select histories. He became famous in the first period, then sold a lot of books in the second. Critics and readers finally lost interest, which lead to the third period after he was bankrupt.
I found the selections fascinating, but I have no idea of the extent of Carlyle's writings to decide on whether these actually reflect his writings or thoughts.
Characteristics was impressive. Most notable were statements like "Unconsciousness is the sign of creation; Consciousness, at best, that of manufacture." Then comments about view-hunting in contemporary literature (which he later applied without that word to Walter Scott). Another worthwhile comment that a healthy person doesn't think about health, while a sick person is always thinking of such.
The Inaugural Address reminded me of Mark Twain, with lots of inciteful and humorous jibes. He pointed out that university taught him to read, so that he could penetrate and master any department that suited himself. He says history is an important subject for everyone. What is beyond understanding in every age, the unknown, underlies all human endeavor. He did favor, even in democracy, like early Rome, that a dictator could be necessary at times to correct the errors of the mass of humanity, which I think might be difficult to control, as it was for later Rome. He found hereditary peerage of value, but did not deny that the rabble might produce genius. And, many other interesting ideas, in particular, education itself.
The final selection, Sir Walter Scott, was the longest and most difficult to fully comprehend. Of course, I had no idea who he was, so there is that. Many pages discussed the seven volume biography by Lockhart. The point seemed to be that one book was sufficient, unless the idea was more to sell books than to tell of a life, similar to some of my comments on the modern trend in fiction, which I didn't realize was long in existence. Quite a bit of text on many other prominent people that Scott hung with, most of whom I have never encountered even in reading or history. Carlyle praised and denigrated Scott's style, or ready-writing, writing a book every year, without much thought into a character's internals, but much ado about their appearance (view-hunting). Apparently, Scott had three periods of writing, lyrical romances, prose romances, and select histories. He became famous in the first period, then sold a lot of books in the second. Critics and readers finally lost interest, which lead to the third period after he was bankrupt.
I found the selections fascinating, but I have no idea of the extent of Carlyle's writings to decide on whether these actually reflect his writings or thoughts.
August 24, 2020
Volume 25 contains 5 works from John Stuart Mill and Thomas Carlyle:
"Autobiography," by John Stuart Mill
"On Liberty," by John Stuart Mill
"Characteristics," by Thomas Carlyle
"Inaugural Address," at Edinburgh by Thomas Carlyle
"Sir Walter Scott," by Thomas Carlyle
I enjoyed "Autobiography," by Mill and enjoyed, "Inaugural Address," and "Sir Walter Scott," by Carlyle. The work, "On Liberty," by Mill has some high points and a made notes on several comments. But Mill was a lost soul driven by unbelief and his spiritual blindness shows in his Socialistic tendencies.
Carlyle was also a lost man who fell in with the Transcendalists of the Romantic era of literature. His writing is much more clear and coherent than his friend, RW Emerson, but is void of Biblical wisdom on many points.
"Autobiography," by John Stuart Mill
"On Liberty," by John Stuart Mill
"Characteristics," by Thomas Carlyle
"Inaugural Address," at Edinburgh by Thomas Carlyle
"Sir Walter Scott," by Thomas Carlyle
I enjoyed "Autobiography," by Mill and enjoyed, "Inaugural Address," and "Sir Walter Scott," by Carlyle. The work, "On Liberty," by Mill has some high points and a made notes on several comments. But Mill was a lost soul driven by unbelief and his spiritual blindness shows in his Socialistic tendencies.
Carlyle was also a lost man who fell in with the Transcendalists of the Romantic era of literature. His writing is much more clear and coherent than his friend, RW Emerson, but is void of Biblical wisdom on many points.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews