William Godwin rose to public prominence in the early 1790s, with two publications that rank amongst the most influential of that decade: Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and its Influence Modern Morals and Happiness (1793) and Things as They Are, or the Adventures of Caleb Williams (1794). These two texts positioned Godwin at the center of the debates defining British political and cultural life in the decade following the French Revolution, and were crucial to the development of the radical critique of state authority in that period. By the end of the eighteenth century, however, the radical milieu with which Godwin was associated was disintegrating under the pressure of repressive legislation and emerging cultural na

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First published 08 January 2001

Citation: McCann, Andrew. "William Godwin". The Literary Encyclopedia. 8 January 2001.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1780, accessed 9 February 2010.]