Interest and Connection in the Eighteenth Century: Hervey, Johnson, Smith, Equiano

In the British eighteenth century, interest was a central concept that influenced finance, economics, politics, psychology, and aesthetics. Sider Jost's book explores how the multiple meanings of interest allowed writers to make connections between different spheres of life, challenging the tradition of individualism and market-based thinking. It emphasizes the importance of interest as an idiom for thinking about concrete social ties and recovers the small, densely networked world of Hanoverian Britain.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 204 pages
Publication date: 30 December 2020
Publisher: University of Virginia Press

Interest, a multifaceted concept that played a central role in the British eighteenth century, holds the potential to encapsulate the world. In the context of this era, interest permeated various fields of thought, including finance, economics, politics, psychology, and aesthetics. It emerged as a powerful force that shaped the intellectual landscape and influenced the way individuals and societies understood and interacted with each other.

Interest and Connection in the Eighteenth Century offers a comprehensive exploration of this concept. Authored by Sider Jost, the book provides the first comprehensive account of interest in an era characterized by a growing national debt and the emergence of a new class of rentiers who thrived on interest. It sheds light on how the multiple meanings of interest allowed writers to forge connections between different spheres of eighteenth-century life, from witty puns to profound structural analogies.

Challenging a long-standing tradition that views the eighteenth century as characterized by individualism, atomization, abstraction, and the dominance of market-based thinking, Interest and Connection in the Eighteenth Century emphasizes the significance of interest as an idiom for thinking about concrete social ties. It highlights the importance of interest in courtly circles, familial relationships, academic institutions, theatrical performances, urban communities, religious establishments, and beyond. To be in the interest of or have an interest with another was a crucial relationship that supplied metaphors and habits of thought across the culture.

Interest and Connection in the Eighteenth Century recovers the small, densely networked world of Hanoverian Britain and its self-consciously inventive language for talking about human connection. By delving into the various meanings and applications of interest, the book offers a fresh perspective on the eighteenth century, challenging the notion of a period characterized by isolation and abstraction. It demonstrates how interest served as a means of bridging gaps, fostering relationships, and creating a sense of community.

In conclusion, interest, as a multifaceted concept that permeated the British eighteenth century, holds the potential to explain the world. Through the lens of Interest and Connection in the Eighteenth Century, we gain a deeper understanding of how interest shaped the intellectual landscape, influenced social interactions, and contributed to the formation of a vibrant and interconnected society. This book offers a valuable contribution to our understanding of the past and provides insights into the enduring relevance of interest in contemporary life.

Weight: 328g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780813945057