CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2012
| Author | Mattair, Michael James |
|---|---|
| Title | "The Dictates of Our Own Hearts": Edward Gibbon and Natural Law |
| Summary | This thesis explores the natural law views of Edward Gibbon, which have only been lightly (and inaccurately) accounted for in previous scholarship. Gibbon’s views on natural law have relevance for two longstanding research interests regarding him: his religious attitudes and the question of whether his Decline and Fall anticipates in some way German historicism. Since natural law is not a widely-understood topic, background is provided for both its history in moral philosophy and the modern issues it has raised in historiography. Gibbon’s views on the matter are investigated through a close reading of Decline and Fall, along with evidence from his other writings. Of special note is the role which Gibbon’s moral ideas play in his history. The results of this investigation are then compared with moral ideas in two contemporary historians, David Hume and William Robertson, to assess the uniqueness and significance of his views. Gibbon’s natural law outlook having been outlined, the question is brought back to his religious and historiographical outlook, where a revision of previous scholarship is offered. |
| Supervisor | Kontler, Laszlo Aurel; Riedl, Matthias |
| Department | History MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2012/mattair_michael.pdf |
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