The Simplicity of Hogarth's Industry and Idleness

Paulson, Ronald

doi:10.2307/2872588

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Idleness was also present in art and literature. The series of engravings entitled “Idleness and Industry” (Paulson 1974; Shesgreen 1976) by William Hogarth in 1747 present a clear example of the general spirit of condemnation of idleness. Twelve scenes describe the contrast between the industrious worker, awarded for his efforts with a good job, a beautiful family, and social prestige, and the idle worker, who obtains evils from his idle attitude.…”

Section: Background: Idleness In Eighteenth-century British and Scott...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The two patterns converge in the DCNR, where Hume proposed his longer and more developed dissertation on indolence. Until the DCNR , Hume solved the problem of idleness within the broader context of his theory of spontaneous order (Paulson 1974; Sugden 1989), one of the characteristic features of Hume’s theory. What is less known is that he changed his view on idleness, and implicitly on his former positions, in the DCNR.…”

Section: Hume On Idleness: From the Treatise To The Dialogues Concern...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

IDLENESS AND THE VERY SPARING HAND OF GOD: THE INVISIBLE TIE BETWEEN HUME’SDIALOGUES CONCERNING NATURAL RELIGIONAND SMITH’SWEALTH OF NATIONS

Santori¹,

Assistant²

2022

J Hist Econ Thought

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the eighteenth-century Scottish and British cultural context, idleness was a central issue for religion, literature, art, and philosophy. This paper analyzes the reflections of David Hume and Adam Smith on idleness and commercial society. Hume advanced his most provocative view on the subject in his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779), where idleness is represented as the endowment made by the “very sparing hand” of the “author of nature” to humanity. My argument is that Smith’s view on idleness that was advanced in the Wealth of Nations (1776) is connected to Hume’s Dialogues, as Smith’s invisible hand defeats idleness through a combination of self-interest, the propensity to exchange, and the division of labor. The broader aim of this study is to add to the philosophical relationship between the Scottish philosophers.

show abstract

Section: Background: Idleness In Eighteenth-century British and Scott...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hume On Idleness: From the Treatise To The Dialogues Concern...mentioning

confidence: 99%

IDLENESS AND THE VERY SPARING HAND OF GOD: THE INVISIBLE TIE BETWEEN HUME’SDIALOGUES CONCERNING NATURAL RELIGIONAND SMITH’SWEALTH OF NATIONS

Santori¹,

Assistant²

2022

J Hist Econ Thought

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Idleness was also present in art and literature. The series of engravings entitled "Idleness and Industry" (Paulson 1974;Shesgreen 1976) by William Hogarth in 1747 present a clear example of the general spirit of condemnation of idleness. Twelve scenes describe the contrast between the industrious worker, awarded for his efforts with a good job, a beautiful family and social prestige, and the idle worker, who obtains evils from his idle attitude.…”

Section: Background: Idleness In the Eighteenth-century British And Scottish Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Idleness and the Very Sparing Hand of God: The invisible tie between Hume’s "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion" and Smith’s "Wealth of Nations"

Santori¹,

Assistant²

2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the eighteenth-century Scottish and British cultural context, idleness was a central issue for religion, literature, art, and philosophy. This paper analyzes the reflections of David Hume and Adam Smith on idleness and commercial society. Hume advanced his most provocative view on the subject in his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779), where idleness is represented as the endowment made by the “very sparing hand” of the “author of nature” to humanity. My argument is that Smith’s view on idleness advanced in the Wealth of Nations (1776) is connected to Hume’s Dialogues, as Smith’s invisible hand defeats idleness through a combination of self-interest, the propensity to exchange, and the division of labor. The broader aim of this study is to add to the philosophical relationship between the Scottish philosophers.

show abstract

Africans as Objects: Hogarth’s Complex Portrayal of Exploitation

Schotland

2009

J Afr Am St

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Hogarth's depiction of African slaves in A Harlot's Progress (1731) and other engravings sends a complicated moral message to the viewer. The dangers of portraying human beings as objects are (at least) three-fold: to the African slaves who are demeaned, to the possessors (mostly women) who are corrupted, and even to the viewers should they be misled into tacitly or passively accepting the dehumanization. Hogarth intends to warn against excessive preoccupation with objects and the licentious practice of objectifying human beings. However, I argue that this moral lesson is jeopardized by Hogarth's aesthetic choice to analogize the slave children to animals or objects with exotic appeal.

show abstract

The Simplicity of Hogarth's Industry and Idleness

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

IDLENESS AND THE VERY SPARING HAND OF GOD: THE INVISIBLE TIE BETWEEN HUME’SDIALOGUES CONCERNING NATURAL RELIGIONAND SMITH’SWEALTH OF NATIONS

IDLENESS AND THE VERY SPARING HAND OF GOD: THE INVISIBLE TIE BETWEEN HUME’SDIALOGUES CONCERNING NATURAL RELIGIONAND SMITH’SWEALTH OF NATIONS

Idleness and the Very Sparing Hand of God: The invisible tie between Hume’s "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion" and Smith’s "Wealth of Nations"

Africans as Objects: Hogarth’s Complex Portrayal of Exploitation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About