The psychology of William Godwin’s Caleb Williams
Curiosity killed the cat
William Godwin was originally a Calvinist preacher and worked in a number of dissenting churches before disagreeing with his congregation and losing his faith. ‘An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice’, one of his best-known works, sought to bring reason into the discussions of the 1790s. It argues for the dismantling of social institutions (government, judiciary, aristocracy, and the monarchy) on the grounds that they were corrupt and corrupting. As institutions, he saw them as perpetuating the inequalities of property and limiting free inquiry. Godwin argued a rational individual will eventually act in the best interests of both himself and society if left alone. Sincerity and rationality were the twin pillars of Godwin’s utopian society. For him, rational behaviour could bypass politics and lead to social justice because it relied on benevolence and impartiality. He also objected to violent rebellion and political associations and thought a blood-thirsty mob barbarous. This was the background to Caleb Williams which was published in 1794.