CARLYLE AS A CRITIC, THINKER, MYSTIC AND ICONOCLAST

Carlyle is well known as a teacher and a prophet. As a teacher, he teaches the people of his age noble social principals. As a prophet, he calls them back to God and religion. Some philosophers call him a tonic because;

 

“He is a source of moral and intellectual stimulus.”

 

We can call him awakener because he tries to awaken ‘Mammon’ worshipers of his age. When he warns the ‘Mammon’ worshipers, he becomes a seer. His readers also admire him as a thinker because he had devoted himself to a noble mission of reformation.

In this book ‘Past and Present’, Carlyle exposes several evils, shams and ‘Mammon’ worshipers of Victorian age. His condemnation of prevalent false values makes him an iconoclast. The writers like ‘Mill’ and ‘Macaulay’ glorified the material prosperity of Victorian period but Carlyle condemned this material prosperity which had brought destruction to the millions.

In this context, Carlyle suggests equal distribution of wealth. According to him, workers should be given fair wages for a fair day work. Carlyle often regrets when he thinks;

 

“Horses are well fed but human beings are hungry and unclothed.”

 

Carlyle stresses that there should be a spiritual harmony between the labourers and industrialists. They are brothers. Moreover;

 

“The captains of the industries should give a share from their industry to the workers.”

 

Carlyle compares the miserable condition of England with king Midas. He had got power to change each thing into gold by mere touch. Very soon, king Midas realized that his power was useless.

 

“The meal was changed into gold when he sought to eat it.”

 

England was the richest country in the world. In spite of that, thousands of the workers were poor.

Carlyle emphasizes that only justice can save England from disaster. If injustice prevails over a country, it goes to wall very soon. He gives the example of the ghost ‘Sphinx’ who used to ask a question and murdered the people who failed to answer it. Carlyle thinks that life also asks us a question;

 

“What is justice?”

 

The people who fail to answer the question are subject to perish. According to him, there should be a proper arrangement for the education of the workers. The prosperity of England should benefit workers too. Carlyle opines that people should realize their spiritual and moral duties. Therefore, Carlyle calls his Godless nation back to God. Carlyle preaches hero worship. He thinks that hero worship is a remedy to the social and economic ills of his age. Everybody should create a heroic mind in himself. In this way, everybody will be able to find a hero for worship.

The stupid rulers cannot provide good governance to the country. The people should choose heroes for the business of government. All the human beings are not equal. All of them can never be allowed to enter the governing body of the country. He suggests that all the people should be subjects and heroes should rule them.

Carlyle does not believe in the liberty of man. He thinks that the only liberty that should be given to the people is the liberty to be guided to the right path by the hero. Carlyle thinks that;

 

“Work is as sacred as worship.”

 

The workers should be thankful for the blessings of work. The workers should not work for the sake of any material reward because the work can never be rewarded in the form of money. They should expect the reward of their work from some authority that belongs to heaven.

Carlyle also favors dignity of labour. He feels that the Godless people of his age can find God in the dignity of labour. The people should give up ‘Mammon’ worship and submit to the sacredness of work and workers.

To conclude, Carlyle was possessor of manifold qualities and can easily be called an iconoclast.