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8 - The Kind of Law a Historian Loved

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2020

Carolyn Steedman
Carolyn Steedman
Affiliation:
University of Warwick
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Summary

In the 1790s Godwin was implacable in his dislike of the law; thirty years on, as a historian rather than a political philosopher, he fell a little bit in love with it as he described the law projects and reforms of the Commonwealth period. His approbation grew thought the four volumes of his History of the Commonwealth of England. The chapter traces his journey from hatred to love. It also consider Godwin’s theoretical piece on ‘History and Romance’ (1797) in order to draw together the discussion of history-writing that runs through the book.

Keywords

William GodwinnovelshistoryHistory of the Commonwealthhistorical research
Type
Chapter
Information
History and the Law
A Love Story
 , pp. 191 - 217
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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