Affective Authority: Passions, Morality and Governance in Early Modern England

Erscheinungsjahr 2025
ISBN: 978-1-83765-259-4
Verlag: Boydell & Brewer

Buch, Englisch, Band 56, 370 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 694 g

Reihe: Studies in Early Modern Cultural, Political and Social History

Throws new light on the history of emotions, as well as on cultural norms and elite governance in early modern English society.

This book investigates the intimate connection between emotion and morality in the landed ranks in England from 1580 to 1700, reintegrating the artificially separated spheres of emotions and ethics. It argues that, long before the "modern" eighteenth century, emotions lay at the core of early modern ethics: virtues and passions were fused and affect underpinned authority. Passions, affections, and ethics were intertwined and must be understood together: feelings enabled and constituted ethical conduct and were often mandated obligations, while cultural norms were based on affective concepts. Through a detailed analysis of four key affective values - love, gratitude, repentance and obedience - the book throws new light on the history of emotions, as well as on cultural norms and elite governance in early modern English society. The book merges social, cultural and intellectual history. It explores how ideals and concepts were practiced in daily life, emphasizes the importance of the domestic, familial world for the understanding and exercise of public authority and governance, and insists on the centrality of the passions and affections to early modern morality. It contributes to the history of emotions by reconnecting affect and ethics, advances the history of English society by showing how authority was based on affect, thus demonstrating the relevance of emotion to larger historical issues.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Linda Pollock, Linda A

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Weltgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religionsgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Europäische Geschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations

1. Introduction

I. The Lay of the Land
II. The Separation of Emotion and Morality in Philosophy
III. The Omission of Morality from the History of Emotions

IV. Rehabilitating the Passions and Incorporating Morality

V. Authority, Emotion and Morality in Early Modern England

VI. This Study

2. Love
I. Introduction
II. Love in Printed Texts
III. Love in Personal Relationships
IV. The Duty to Love
V. Love's Obligations
VI. Love's Limits
VII. Love and Society
VIII. Conclusions

3. Gratitude
I. Introduction
II. Gratitude in Early Modern Society
III. Gratitude in Interpersonal Relationships
IV. Ingratitude
V. Gratitude and Obedience
VI. Conclusions

4. Repentance
I. Introduction
II. Repentance in Printed Texts
III. Repentance and Landed Society
IV. The Quest for Forgiveness
V. Repentance and the State
VI. Conclusions

5. Obedience
I. Introduction
II. Obedience From All
III. Affect and Obedience
IV. Autonomy Preserved
V. Impossibility of Maintaining Total Control
VI. Passive Obedience
VII. Conclusions

6. Conclusions and Implications
I. Affect, Morality, and Society
II. The Early Modern Ethical Self
III. Repercussions for the Understanding of Governance and Authority

Bibliography
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Linda Pollock, Linda A
LINDA A. POLLOCK is holder of the Mouton and Leatrice Bickham Memorial Chair in European History at Tulane University, New Orleans.