In Chapter 9 Reeves is mainly concerned with the Principles of Political Economy (1848), Mill's relationship with Harriet, and the delineation of Mill's shifting position with regard to socialism. Principles of Political Economy gives a classical laissez-faire account of the economics of production, largely based on the work of David Ricardo (although Mill dedicated it privately to …
Tag: ninteenthcentury
Unbridled Romanticism
In Chapter 5 of The Roots of Romanticism Isaiah Berlin considers what he terms 'the final eruption of unbridled romanticism'. Berlin says that Friedrich Schlegel, himself a part of the movement, named three vital components of this movement: Fichte's philosophy, the French Revolution, and Goethe's novel Wilhelm Meister. Fichte's philosophy The innovation which Fichte and …
Reeves on Mill: Chapter 8
The impact on Mill of the events in Paris in February 1848 was, as was common among European radicals, immense and galvanising. 'I am hardly yet out of breath from reading and thinking about it......Nothing can possibly exceed the importance of it to the world or the immensity of the interests which are at stake …
Turgenev’s Smoke
Returning to Turgenev after a long break I have reached the extraordinary Smoke (1867). This novel was badly received at the time and does not appear to have been much rehabilitated in the century and a half since its publication. One does not have to search far for the reasons for the contemporary hostility: in …
Some Trollopian Politics
This is a post which I sent to Trollope-l in April 2009. I am transferring it to my blog because it is my hope to gradually build up my own archive of easily accessible writings which I have submitted (and will I hope be again) to the lists to which I belong. Many aspects of The …
Reeves on Mill : Chapters 6-7
Chapter 6 In the late 1830's Mill once again became heavily involved with public political events. It was a time of hope for the Radicals; hopes which were centred on achieving a split in the Whigs between the progressive element and the rest, and the introduction of the secret ballot. Mill fretted that he could …
The Romantic Exiles
I happened to espy E.H. Carr's book The Romantic Exiles (1933), which tells the story of the lives of certain 19thC Russian exiles, in my favourite second-hand bookshop in Gateway-of-Fleet, and was delighted to be able to buy it. My primary interest was in the private life of Alexander Herzen but the book turned out to be of much …
Letter From An Unknown Woman
After a long period of closure Birmingham's main 'arthouse' cinema at the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) has reopened. Actually the whole of MAC has been resigned/redecorated/refitted and it is now a much more pleasant and airy space. I don't think they have done that much to the cinema, but it does mean that foreign language/independent/reissues …
February 2010 Miscellany
Two more short Turgenev novels, included in one volume, both very good indeed. Rudin is the tale of an idealist young talker who inspires love in the young Natasha, but when it comes to a question of action (eloping with her in the face of her mother's disapproval) fails both Natasha and herself. The intensely moving, …
January 2010 Miscellany
A substantial change to the way in which my life is organised, and especially the time I have available, took place this month when, to my considerable surprise, I was elected Chairperson of the Birmingham LINk (an organisation which seeks to improve the provision of Health and Social Care in Birmingham). I now have to …
Moving Toyshop 