The Rise of Liberalism
I. The Renaissance: The movement of liberalism more pronounced in New England because long restrained. Ethical rather than economic; German rather than French. Many-sided but rebellious 317
II. Liberalism and Calvinism
I. The stir in the church. French romanticism and Unitarianism. The conservative reaction. The dilemma of Calvinism--efforts to escape the horns of dogma. The growth of rationalism. The philosophy of Unitarianism--a recovery of the principle of primitive Congregationalism. Elements of conservatism 321
II. William Ellery Channing: A spiritual nature, concerned with two cardinal ideas: God’s love, man’s excellence. Slow clarification of his thought. Major tenets derived from Rousseau and the English Arians. Attitude toward slavery. Theory of the political state--approximation to the position of Jefferson. On freedom of speech--the vital principle of Unitarianism 328
III. Liberalism and the Social Conscience
I. The Social Mind: The Puritan conscience individual rather than social. Influence of Unitarianism in awakening a sense of social responsibility. Beginnings of reform 339
II. Perfectionism: An extreme expression of ethical radicalism. John Humphrey Noyes, a Yankee Fifth Monarchy man. His doctrines--expression in Conventions 342
III. Brook Farm: An attempt at an economic solution of social maladjustments. Influence of transcendentalism. Attitude of certain transcendentalists. Hostility to Fourierism 346
IV. Abolitionism: The awakening of the New England conscience to the evil of slavery. The Abolitionists a remnant in Israel--their characteristics 350
IV. Certain Militants
I. William Lloyd Garrison: A flinty character. His early life. _The Liberator._ A primitive Hebraist--his antagonisms. His political theory founded on the Declaration of Independence. A Perfectionist. Nullified the Constitution. The strength and weakness of his methods 352
II. John G. Whittier--Puritan-Quaker: The religion of the Inner Light. A primitive Christian--a Come-outer. Significance of _Leaves from Margaret Smith’s Journal_. The politician amongst the Abolitionists. Reasons for his break with Garrison. Not a political thinker. His Abolitionist verse. His later verse. An anachronism in industrial New England 361
III. Harriet Beecher Stowe--A Daughter of Puritanism: Her Calvinist heredity. A sympathetic student of New England psychology. Intellectual antecedents. _Old-Town Folks_; _Poganuc People_. _The Minister’s Wooing_ a defense of the Calvinist clergy. Her contact with slavery--_Uncle Tom’s Cabin_; _Dred_ 371