William Godwin
(1756-1836), Philosopher and novelistRegency Portraits Catalogue Entry
Sitter in 13 portraits
Philosopher and novelist, Godwin was arguably the most famous English writer of the revolutionary period and the leading radical spokesman. In the Enquiry concerning Political Justice (1793) he detailed his optimistic belief that if human reason could be 'perfected' this would allow authoritarian laws and institutions to be overturned. Despite being ideologically opposed to marriage, he married the feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft in 1797 when she was pregnant with their daughter, the future Mary Shelley. Godwin had a powerful influence on the Romantic poets, especially William Wordsworth and Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Related People
- Mary Jane Godwin (wife)
- Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (daughter)
- Sir Percy Florence Shelley, 3rd Bt (grandson)
- Mary Wollstonecraft (wife)
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