William Hurrell Mallock
Encyclopedia
William Hurrell Mallock (7 February 1849 – 2 April 1923) was an English novelist and economics writer.
. He won the Newdigate prize
in 1872 and took a second class in the final classical schools in 1874, securing his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford University. He attracted considerable attention by his satirical novel The New Republic
(1877), in which he introduced characters easily recognized as such prominent individuals as Matthew Arnold
, Thomas Carlyle
, and Thomas Henry Huxley.
His keen logic and gift for acute exposition and criticism were displayed in later years both in fiction and in controversial works. In a series of books dealing with religious questions he insisted on dogma as the basis of religion and on the impossibility of founding religion on purely scientific data. In Is Life Worth Living? (1879) and The New Paul and Virginia
(1878) he attacked Positivist theories, and in a volume on the intellectual position of the Church of England
, Doctrine and Doctrinal Disruption (1900), he advocated the necessity of a strictly defined creed. Later volumes on similar topics were Religion as a Credible Doctrine (1903) and The Reconstruction of Belief (1905). He also authored articles, one in particular directed against Huxley's Agnosticism
, entitled "'Cowardly Agnosticism' A Word with Professor Huxley," in the April 1889 issue of The Fortnightly Review.
He published several brilliant works on economics, directed against radical and socialist theories: Social Equality (1882), Property and Progress (1884), Labor and the Popular Welfare (1893), Classes and Masses (1896), Aristocracy and Evolution (1898), and A Critical Examination of Socialism (1908). Among his anti-socialist works should be classed his novel, The Old Order Changes (1886).
His other novels include A Romance of the Nineteenth Century (1881), A Human Document (1892), The Heart of Life (1895), and The Veil of the Temple (1904). He published a volume of Poems in 1880. His 1883 book Lucretius
included some verse translations from the Roman
poet, which he followed with Lucretius on Life and Death in 1900, a book of verse paraphrases in a style modeled after the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
by Edward FitzGerald
. (A second edition was issued in 1910).
Ironically, this latter work came to be highly regarded by freethinkers
and other religious skeptics. Corliss Lamont
includes portions of the third canto in his A Humanist Funeral Service. Mallock himself, in his introduction, seems to be offering it, somewhat condescendingly, for the use of such non-Christians when he writes:
Artist Tom Phillips
used Mallock's A Human Document as the basis for his project A Humument
, where he took a copy of the novel and constructed a work of art using its pages.
Biography
He was educated privately and then at Balliol College, OxfordBalliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
. He won the Newdigate prize
Newdigate prize
Sir Roger Newdigate's Prize is awarded to students of the University of Oxford for Best Composition in English verse by an undergraduate who has been admitted to Oxford within the previous four years. It was founded by Sir Roger Newdigate, Bt in the 18th century...
in 1872 and took a second class in the final classical schools in 1874, securing his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford University. He attracted considerable attention by his satirical novel The New Republic
The New Republic (novel)
The New Republic or Culture, Faith and Philosophy in an English Country House by English author William Hurrell Mallock is a novel first published by Chatto and Windus of London in 1877. The work had its genesis as a serialization...
(1877), in which he introduced characters easily recognized as such prominent individuals as Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold was a British poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the famed headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, literary professor, and William Delafield Arnold, novelist and colonial administrator...
, Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
, and Thomas Henry Huxley.
His keen logic and gift for acute exposition and criticism were displayed in later years both in fiction and in controversial works. In a series of books dealing with religious questions he insisted on dogma as the basis of religion and on the impossibility of founding religion on purely scientific data. In Is Life Worth Living? (1879) and The New Paul and Virginia
The New Paul and Virginia
The New Paul and Virginia, or Positivism on an Island is a satirical dystopian novel written by William Hurrell Mallock, and first published in 1878...
(1878) he attacked Positivist theories, and in a volume on the intellectual position of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, Doctrine and Doctrinal Disruption (1900), he advocated the necessity of a strictly defined creed. Later volumes on similar topics were Religion as a Credible Doctrine (1903) and The Reconstruction of Belief (1905). He also authored articles, one in particular directed against Huxley's Agnosticism
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
, entitled "'Cowardly Agnosticism' A Word with Professor Huxley," in the April 1889 issue of The Fortnightly Review.
He published several brilliant works on economics, directed against radical and socialist theories: Social Equality (1882), Property and Progress (1884), Labor and the Popular Welfare (1893), Classes and Masses (1896), Aristocracy and Evolution (1898), and A Critical Examination of Socialism (1908). Among his anti-socialist works should be classed his novel, The Old Order Changes (1886).
His other novels include A Romance of the Nineteenth Century (1881), A Human Document (1892), The Heart of Life (1895), and The Veil of the Temple (1904). He published a volume of Poems in 1880. His 1883 book Lucretius
Lucretius
Titus Lucretius Carus was a Roman poet and philosopher. His only known work is an epic philosophical poem laying out the beliefs of Epicureanism, De rerum natura, translated into English as On the Nature of Things or "On the Nature of the Universe".Virtually no details have come down concerning...
included some verse translations from the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
poet, which he followed with Lucretius on Life and Death in 1900, a book of verse paraphrases in a style modeled after the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is the title that Edward FitzGerald gave to his translation of a selection of poems, originally written in Persian and of which there are about a thousand, attributed to Omar Khayyám , a Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer...
by Edward FitzGerald
Edward Fitzgerald
Edward Fitzgerald may refer to:* Lord Edward FitzGerald , Irish revolutionary*Edward Fitzgerald , Irish* Edward FitzGerald, 7th Duke of Leinster * Edward Fitzgerald...
. (A second edition was issued in 1910).
Ironically, this latter work came to be highly regarded by freethinkers
Freethought
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...
and other religious skeptics. Corliss Lamont
Corliss Lamont
Corliss Lamont , was a socialist philosopher, and advocate of various left-wing and civil liberties causes. As a part of his political activities he was the Chairman of National Council of American-Soviet Friendship starting from early 1940s...
includes portions of the third canto in his A Humanist Funeral Service. Mallock himself, in his introduction, seems to be offering it, somewhat condescendingly, for the use of such non-Christians when he writes:
- Those, however, who . . . are adherents of the principles which [Lucretius] shares with the latest scientists of to-day, can hardly find the only hope which is open to them expressed by any writer with a loftier and more poignant dignity than that with which they will find it expressed by the Roman disciple of EpicurusEpicurusEpicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher and the founder of the school of philosophy called Epicureanism.Only a few fragments and letters remain of Epicurus's 300 written works...
.
Artist Tom Phillips
Tom Phillips (artist)
Tom Phillips CBE R.A. is an English artist. He was born in London, where he continues to work. He is a painter, printmaker and collagist.-Life:...
used Mallock's A Human Document as the basis for his project A Humument
A Humument
A Humument: A treated Victorian novel is an altered book by British artist Tom Phillips, first published in 1970. It is a piece of art created over W H Mallock's 1892 novel A Human Document whose title results from the partial deletion of the original title: A Human document.Phillips drew, painted,...
, where he took a copy of the novel and constructed a work of art using its pages.