The collected works of William Hazlitt, Vol. 11 (of 12)

In Short

This volume gathers the uncollected essays, art reviews, drama criticisms, and aphorisms of William Hazlitt. Moving effortlessly from the technical mechanics of abstract ideas and human volition to sweeping appraisals of parliamentary debates, Shakespearean tragedy, and contemporary painting, the collection charts a brilliant mind in full engagement with nineteenth-century intellectual life. Rather than presenting a unified narrative, it unfolds as a relentless investigation into how human beings think, perceive, feel, and govern themselves. Hazlitt dismantles the mechanical philosophy of Hobbes and Locke, defends the existence of genuine sympathy, exposes political hypocrisy, and evaluates the cultural figures of his day—from actors like Kean and Kemble to poets like Chaucer and Byron. The book has endured because it showcases one of the English language's greatest essayists operating at the peak of his analytical power, offering an uncompromising, deeply human vision that insists on testing all theory against lived reality and authentic emotion.

The Story

The intellectual arc of the volume begins in the realm of pure philosophy, where Hazlitt establishes his foundational principles of human nature and perception. He directly challenges the dominant empiricist and materialist thinkers of his era, taking aim at the reductionist theories of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Étienne Bonnot de Condillac. Hazlitt argues vigorously against the notion that all human thoughts are merely mechanical combinations of sensory impressions or that human action is driven entirely by self-interest. In examining abstract ideas, he contends that the mind possesses an inherent faculty of abstraction, refusing to reduce thought to mere words or individual physical images. When addressing the nature of the will, he defends human liberty against deterministic views, asserting that freedom of choice is a genuine mental power rather than an effect without a cause. Furthermore, he refutes the selfish theory of ethics advanced by Helvetius and Hobbes, maintaining that disinterested sympathy is an intrinsic aspect of human consciousness and that human beings are capable of desiring the good of others for its own sake, independent of personal appetite or physical self-regard.

Having established that human consciousness is active, imaginative, and inherently capable of moral feeling, the argument transitions from abstract philosophy to the concrete expression of these faculties in art and literature. Hazlitt turns his gaze to the visual arts, evaluating painters and theories of aesthetics with the same rigorous scrutiny. He insists that true artistic genius lies in combining general principles with striking individual particularity, rejecting the notion that art should merely present vague abstractions. Through detailed reviews of gallery exhibitions and individual paintings, he distinguishes between works born of genuine feeling and those relying on mere technical trickery or flattering affectation. His aesthetic critical inquiry extends naturally into the theater, where he examines the power of dramatic performance to evoke human passion. In analyzing the acting of John Philip Kemble and Edmund Kean, he illustrates how a great actor must embody the deep, habitual workings of a central emotion rather than relying on superficial, mechanical effects. He delves into Shakespeare’s plays, analyzing characters like Desdemona to demonstrate how true dramatic art balances moral gravity, profound affection, and psychological reality.

The arc broadens further as Hazlitt applies these philosophical and aesthetic criteria to the public arena of politics, contemporary literature, and social life. He scrutinizes the state of parliamentary eloquence, unmasking politicians like George Canning who use ornate, shifting language to disguise the violation of constitutional principles and the defense of power abuses. Hazlitt contrasts such sophistry with the direct, plain-spoken sincerity of figures like Samuel Whitbread, arguing that true eloquence demands an honest heart and genuine feeling rather than polished artifices. His literary reviews dissect contemporary poets and writers, measuring their achievements against the depth and truth of historical masters like Chaucer and Shakespeare. He attacks literary posturing, political apostasy, and the vanity of authorial feuds, calling out the inconsistencies of contemporaries such as Robert Southey and Lord Byron.

Finally, the volume culminates in a sharp, concentrated series of aphorisms and political reflections that distill his life's philosophy. Here, Hazlitt reflects on the stubborn vices and weaknesses of human nature, the dangers of political tyranny, and the frequent cowardice of speculative reformers. He laments how easily mankind trades truth for illusions, yet he maintains an unwavering commitment to liberty, intellectual honesty, and individual integrity. The work closes by reaffirming that whether in metaphysics, poetry, acting, or politics, the ultimate standard of value remains an unyielding fidelity to nature, truth, and genuine human feeling.

How It Unfolds

The mechanics of thought Hazlitt initiates his inquiry by dissecting the nature of abstract ideas, arguing that human perception cannot be reduced to simple physical images or mechanical word associations. He demonstrates that the mind possesses an innate power to conceive general terms, refuting the narrow empiricism that attempts to trace every complex thought back to bare sensory inputs.

The defense of human liberty Turning to the problem of volition, Hazlitt challenges the fatalistic doctrines of Hobbes and Helvetius. He asserts that the human mind exercises a genuine freedom of choice and will, insisting that moral agency consists in the unimpeded operation of mental powers rather than mere mechanical cause and effect.

Refuting the selfish system Hazlitt dismantles the notion that all human actions stem from self-love or physical appetite, directly critiquing the ethical theories that reduce compassion to fear for oneself. He demonstrates that disinterested sympathy and a true concern for the welfare of others are fundamental, natural components of human nature.

Truth and detail in art Shifting to aesthetics, Hazlitt examines the fine arts, contending that true painting requires a rigorous fidelity to nature's specific details rather than vague, idealized abstractions. He reviews contemporary exhibitions and classic masterworks to separate genuine artistic feeling from superficial trickery and pleasing affectation.

The power of the stage Through vivid drama criticism, Hazlitt analyzes the performances of leading actors like Kemble and Kean, evaluating their ability to portray sustained human passion. He explores how dramatic genius relies on capturing the deep, internal emotion of a character rather than relying on external vehemence or rhetorical flourishes.

Poetic truth versus verbal artifice In his literary essays, Hazlitt compares the deep, unsophisticated feeling of poets like Chaucer with the more polished, verbal wit of later schools. He uses detailed character analyses, such as Shakespeare's Desdemona, to illustrate how sublime poetry springs from psychological truth and unreserved emotional devotion.

Masks of parliamentary rhetoric Hazlitt turns his critical lens toward political speech, exposing how parliamentary figures use glittering language to palliator abuse and obscure fundamental truths. He contrasts the manipulative sophistry of polished debaters with the rugged, transparent honesty of genuine public servants who speak from conviction.

Aphorisms on human nature The volume concludes with a series of sharp, biting maxims on politics, society, and human frailty. Hazlitt unmasks the persistence of tyranny, the vanity of speculative reformers, and the enduring human tendency to choose comfortable illusions over hard truths, leaving behind a uncompromising testament to intellectual independence.

The People

William Hazlitt The central voice and guiding intelligence of the text, Hazlitt functions as an unyielding critic of both abstract theory and social hypocrisy. He seeks to defend the reality of human freedom, genuine sympathy, and emotional truth against mechanical philosophers, political turncoats, and superficial artists. Armed with sharp psychological insight, he demands that every system of thought prove itself against real human experience.

Thomas Hobbes Appearing as a primary philosophical antagonist, Hobbes represents the mechanical and selfish view of human nature. His theories, which derive all thoughts from physical sensations and all motives from self-preservation, serve as the baseline against which Hazlitt constructs his defense of free will and disinterested benevolence.

John Locke Locke is engaged as a major intellectual figure whose division of ideas into sensation and reflection Hazlitt finds incomplete. While respecting Locke's contributions, Hazlitt constantly pushes past his framework, arguing that Locke failed to account for the mind's active, inherent power of abstraction and synthetic thought.

Helvetius The French philosopher serves as the chief exponent of the doctrine that pity is merely a indirect form of self-love. Hazlitt repeatedly cites and refutes Helvetius's writings to demonstrate that human compassion is not a calculated fear of personal suffering, but a direct, unselfish response to the pain of others.

Edmund Kean A central figure in Hazlitt's theatrical critiques, Kean exemplifies the height of dramatic passion on the contemporary stage. Hazlitt views him as a prose-actor of immense power whose energetic, lion-hearted portrayals of characters like Macbeth reveal the deepest internal movements of the human heart.

John Philip Kemble Kean's grand predecessor and rival, Kemble represents an acting style built upon the steady, deliberate development of a single predominant feeling. Hazlitt highlights his performances in parts like Penruddock and Coriolanus as masterpieces of sustained, dignified melancholy and unbending strength of purpose.

George Canning In Hazlitt's political essays, Canning stands as the quintessential modern orator who uses dazzling, slippery rhetoric to mask the defense of corruption and power. Hazlitt portrays him as a accomplished sophist whose success signals an age where fluid words have gained an unhealthy mastery over real things.

Samuel Whitbread Presented as the antithesis of the manipulative political speaker, Whitbread is remembered by Hazlitt as an honest, straightforward parliamentary representative. His effectiveness stemmed not from elaborate oratory or strategic cleverness, but from a transparent, manly spirit that spoke directly from personal conviction.

In Its Own Voice

'From desire ariseth the thought of some means we have seen produce the like of what we aim at: and from the thought of that, the thought of means to that mean, and so continually till we come to some beginning within our own power.'

Hazlitt quotes this passage from Thomas Hobbes to illustrate the chain of mental association and the mechanical logic that governs human desire.

'My sympathy with the sufferings of another is always in exact proportion to my fear of being exposed to the same sufferings myself.'

This line from Helvetius is brought forward by Hazlitt as the explicit statement of the selfish system of morals, which he devotes substantial effort to dismantling.

'In fine, Mr. Canning’s success as an orator, and the space he occupies in the public mind, are strong indications of the Genius of the Age, in which words have obtained a mastery over things, “and to call evil good and good evil,” is thought the mark of a superior and happy spirit.'

Hazlitt offers this sharp assessment during a critique of parliamentary eloquence to highlight how political speech in his era had degenerated into manipulative rhetoric designed to cloak abuses of power.

What It's Really About

Beneath its wide-ranging topics—stretching from metaphysics to stage performances—the collection is fundamentally an extended defense of the organic complexity of the human spirit. Hazlitt wages an intellectual war against all forms of reductionism. He refuses to allow human consciousness to be flattened into a series of mechanical physical reactions, nor will he accept an ethical framework that reduces every noble or compassionate impulse to calculated self-interest. For Hazlitt, the mind is an active, creative force capable of real choice, abstract thought, and genuine, unselfish sympathy for others.

At the same time, the book investigates the relationship between language, emotion, and power. Whether dissecting a political speech in Parliament, a theatrical rendition of Shakespeare, or a treatise on grammar, Hazlitt constantly asks whether words and forms are being used to reveal truth or to mask it. He exposes how political figures employ sophisticated rhetoric to hide tyranny, how inferior artists use conventional styles to conceal a lack of feeling, and how armchair philosophers create abstract systems that ignore the vibrant reality of lived experience. Ultimately, the work argues that human dignity depends on maintaining an uncompromised fidelity to nature, feeling, and truth, refusing to let mechanical systems or political convenience dictate the terms of human existence.

Why Read It Today

Reading this collection today offers a refreshing, vigorous antidote to rigid ideologies and polished public relations. Hazlitt writes with a clear, muscle-bound prose that possesses extraordinary intellectual vitality; his sentences move with speed, precision, and an unmistakable personal conviction. Readers who enjoy literary criticism, political commentary, or the history of ideas will find themselves in the company of a fierce, independent mind that refuses to defer to popular opinion or established authority. His essays on theater and poetry remain remarkably fresh, offering brilliant masterclasses in how to evaluate art without falling back on mechanical formulas or trendy jargon.

The volume does, however, present real challenges that require patience from a modern reader. As a collection of nineteenth-century uncollected writings, it contains dense philosophical arguments, detailed references to long-forgotten parliamentary debates, and reviews of obscure artists and actors whose names have faded from public memory. Hazlitt frequently engages in fine-grained polemics with his contemporaries, quoting long passages from eighteenth-century philosophers or quoting poetry without immediate attribution. Furthermore, his prose reflects the complex syntax and untranslated Latin or French snippets common to the period's intellectual culture.

Yet these hurdles are easily outweighed by the sheer power of Hazlitt's insight. His critiques of political rhetoric—where clever phrasing is used to justify injustice and confuse moral clarity—feel uncannily relevant to contemporary public discourse. What stays with the reader is not merely his specific judgments on Hobbes, Kean, or Canning, but his overall stance as a critic: passionate, uncompromising, deeply humane, and endlessly curious about the true workings of the human heart.

<ElicitationsGroup message="To take this further:"> <Elicitation label="Analyze Hazlitt's philosophy of mind and free will" query="Based on this volume, summarize Hazlitt's main arguments against Hobbes and Locke regarding free will and human perception."/> <Elicitation label="Explore Hazlitt's drama and art criticism" query="Provide a deeper look into Hazlitt's theatrical criticism in this collection, focusing on his assessments of Edmund Kean and Shakespeare."/> <Elicitation label="Examine Hazlitt's political essays and aphorisms" query="Detail Hazlitt's political views as revealed in his essays on parliamentary eloquence and his concluding aphorisms."/> </ElicitationsGroup>