Scholarship · Philosophy · Science · 1795–1881
Born: 4 December 1795 · Died: 5 February 1881 · Age at death: 85
Thomas Carlyle died aged 85. He was born on 4 December 1795 and died on 5 February 1881.
Scottish historian and essayist of The French Revolution and On Heroes, a dominant voice of Victorian thought
Did you know?He had to rewrite the first volume of his book on the French Revolution after a friend's servant accidentally burned the manuscript.
Thomas Carlyle was one of the most influential writers of the Victorian age. The son of a stonemason in rural Scotland, he walked to Edinburgh University at 13. His history The French Revolution brought the past to life with fiery, dramatic prose. When a maid accidentally burned the only manuscript, he rewrote it from scratch. In On Heroes he argued that great men drive history. He attacked the soullessness of industrial society. Admired in his day, his views on race and democracy are now widely condemned.
Thomas Carlyle (4 December 1795 – 5 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. Known as the "sage of Chelsea", his writings strongly influenced the intellectual and artistic culture of the Victorian era.
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Profile
Scottish writer, 1795–1881
Thomas Carlyle was born in Ecclefechan on 4 December 1795.
He studied at Edinburgh.
The French Revolution appeared in 1837.
On Heroes followed in 1841.
Career highlights
Did you know?A maid accidentally burned his only manuscript of The French Revolution.
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