Philosophy and Literature

Abstract:

I make three surprising and related claims. An important strand of Romanticism: 1) embraced and championed the idea of second nature (the formative importance of traditions, customs, and practices); 2) espoused progressive democracy, which included political, economic, and social justice; and 3) understood an intimate connection between (1) and (2). I focus on British Romanticism, especially on the early work of William Wordsworth. In the conclusion, I show that this argument about Romanticism and second nature has broad implications for contemporary democratic society.