Catharine Macaulay's Republican Enlightenment

This biography provides a detailed account of the life and letters of Catharine Macaulay, exploring her political and social contexts, and the content and influence of her writing, including her disagreements with conservative opponents and her influence on progressive admirers. It highlights her as a coherent and influential political voice who grounded her progressive politics in rational religion and looked back to the seventeenth-century levellers and parliamentarians as important precursors.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 266 pages
Publication date: 13 December 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Catharine Macaulay, a prominent figure of the eighteenth century, garnered both praise and criticism for her republican politics and unconventional second marriage. This comprehensive biography delves into the life and letters of Macaulay, placing her works within their political and social contexts. It provides an unprecedented, detailed account of the content and influence of her writing, encompassing her eight-volume history of England, as well as her other political, ethical, and educational works. Macaulay's discussions with conservative opponents, such as David Hume, Edmund Burke, and Samuel Johnson, are explored in depth, as is her impact on progressive admirers like Thomas Jefferson, Jacques-Pierre Brissot, Mercy Otis Warren, and Mary Wollstonecraft.

Through her writings, Macaulay emerges as a coherent and influential political voice, representative of enlightenment republicans who grounded their progressive politics in rational religion. She draws inspiration from seventeenth-century levellers and parliamentarians who advocated for the liberty and political rights she sought to establish in Great Britain, America, and France. Macaulay's defense of republican liberty and the equal rights of men serves as a valuable corrective to contemporary accounts of the character and origins of democratic republicanism during this pivotal period.

In conclusion, Catharine Macaulay's life and letters offer a rich and multifaceted perspective on the eighteenth-century world. This biography provides a comprehensive exploration of her political ideas, social commentary, and literary achievements, shedding light on her enduring influence on political thought and society.

Weight: 418g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367498108