A Critical Analysis Of Thomas Carlyle's Past And Present

There is no denying that Thomas Carlyle’s social and political criticism of England’s condition during the 1840s was among the most influential writing of that time. In his essay “Past and Present,” Carlyle acknowledges the fact that poor working conditions is a big problem in society. He states in the text, “And yet I will venture to believe that in no time, since the beginning of Society, was the lot of those same dumb millions of toilers so entirely unbearable as it is even in the days now passing over us.” (Carlyle, 29). This quote demonstrates so much about Carlyle’s attitude toward the working class. For instance, he reveals that he is very concerned about their predicament. Moreover, he understands that they have been overloaded with more work that they should, they have not been earning enough money for the work that they do, and they have been discriminated against because of their social class. Carlyle also realizes that it is very unfair that the working class has to experience these types of situations, especially when there are wealthy people witnessing the discrimination who can clearly do something about it. Furthermore, in the text, clearly wanting the inequality to end, Carlyle provides the reader with a solution to these injustices. He claims that labor needs to be organized and a better style of leadership will the best thing for society. Additionally, he states, “The main substance of this immense Problem of Organising Labour, and first of all of Managing the Working Classes, will, it is very clear, have to be solved by those who stand practically in the middle of it, by those who

In an ideal world, it would be so simple to get rid of all inequality and discrimination in the world. However, it is not as simple as saying “we need better leaders.” There are so many things to consider before anything changes. Even today, these issues are still around and it seems as if it is a cycle that will never