Enquiry Concerning Political Justice - Classic Text | Alexandria
Enquiry Concerning Political Justice by William Godwin: A monumental work of political philosophy, Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and its Influence on Morals and Happiness (1793), is not merely a treatise, but a radical vision of a society perfected through reason. Often misinterpreted as utopian fantasy, Godwin’s Enquiry is a rigorous, systematic argument for the potential of human perfectibility and the withering away of government. It challenges the very foundations of societal structures, inviting a re-examination of power, justice, and the limits of human potential.
Godwin’s intellectual project emerged during the tumultuous years of the French Revolution. Drafted between 1791 and its publication in 1793, at the height of the Reign of Terror, Enquiry represents a bold intellectual intervention in a world irrevocably changed. The intellectual fermentation of the Enlightenment, including figures such as Rousseau, Locke, and Hume, provided the groundwork for Godwin’s radicalism. His meticulous citations and carefully constructed arguments within Enquiry testify to a deep engagement with these philosophical predecessors, either as inspiration or counterpoint.
The influence of Enquiry was immediate and profound. Initially praised by reform-minded intellectuals, including figures like Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth who were deeply inspired by it, the rise of conservative reaction to the French Revolution led to its increasing condemnation. Godwin’s arguments for rational anarchy and individual judgment were seen as dangerous threats to social order. Later, its impact resonated through anarchist movements. Its relentless focus on rationality and rejection of inherited institutions inspired debate and continues to provoke discussions on individual liberty versus social order. The personal controversies surrounding Godwin—most notably his marriage to Mary Wollstonecraft and the scandal surrounding their daughter Mary Shelley's elopement—added another layer of intrigue. Did Godwin genuinely believe in the perfectibility of mankind as he argued, or did his personal life reveal a contradiction within his supposedly rational system?
Today, Enquiry Concerning Political Justice remains a foundational text for political philosophers and social theorists. While the vision of a society without government may appear distant, Godwin's rigorous examination of power, justice, and human potential continues to challenge us. It forces us to confront uncomfortable questions: what are the limits of reason, and what sacrifices are we willing to make in the name of order? Is the pursuit of perfectibility a fool's errand, or a moral imperative?