Latter-Day Pamphlets

by Thomas Carlyle

"Latter-Day Pamphlets" by Thomas Carlyle is a series of pamphlets published in 1850, emerging from his response to the Revolutions of 1848 and Ireland's Great Famine. In vehement prose, Carlyle denounces what he sees as the political, social, and religious failures of his era, particularly targeting democracy and modern culture. He attacks prison reform, parliamentary government, and commercialism while calling for authoritative order. The work provoked intense controversy, with critics united in rage and figures like Engels, Marx, and Trollope offering harsh responses, though some like Emerson and Dickens found value in his critiques.