Political Philosophy in Gulliver’s Travels

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“Robertson guides us to a deeper understanding of Swift's intention in writing his tale of Gulliver’s fantastical voyages. We discover an exploration of the permanent questions that characterize human life and define our contemporary dilemma, including: what constitutes knowledge, and how can we ensure it is directed toward the human good? We gain fresh tools to investigate such questions with Robertson as our skillful guide.”

“This book is a much needed re-discovery of Swift. We can all gain from Robertson’s study a new appreciation of Swift's greatness as a thinker in addition to a literary giant and, of course, a satirist.”

—Colin D. Pearce, Lyceum Professor, Lyceum Program, Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism, USA

This book analyzes Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels from a political philosophy perspective. When authors have focused on politics in Swift’s writings, this has usually meant a study of how Swift located himself on issues of his day such as church and state, and Ireland. Robertson claims by contrast that Gulliver’s Travels is fundamentally a book about the “ancients” (e.g. Plato, Aristotle), and the “moderns” (science and technology), and their contrasting views about the human condition. The claim that the Travels is “a kind of prolegomena” to political philosophy leaves open the possibility that it does not achieve, or seek to achieve, a fusion of various teachings but rather uses the device of alien societies to point us to uncomfortable aspects of political philosophy’s “larger questions” we are prone to ignore.  Swift, Robertson argues, draws our attention to some version of the classical republic, as idealized in Aristotle’s political writings and in Plato’s Republic, as opposed to a modern regime which, at its best or most intellectual, emphasizes modern science and technology in combination as a way to improve the human condition.

Lloyd W. Robertson is a former lecturer in political science at St. Thomas University in Canada, among other post-secondary institutions.

This book analyzes Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels from a political philosophy perspective. When authors have focused on politics in Swift’s writings, this has usually meant a study of how Swift located himself on issues of his day such as church and state, and Ireland. Robertson claims by contrast that Gulliver’s Travels is fundamentally a book about the “ancients” (e.g. Plato, Aristotle), and the “moderns” (science and technology), and their contrasting views about the human condition. The claim that the Travels is “a kind of prolegomena” to political philosophy leaves open the possibility that it does not achieve, or seek to achieve, a fusion of various teachings but rather uses the device of alien societies to point us to uncomfortable aspects of political philosophy’s “larger questions” we are prone to ignore.  Swift, Robertson argues, draws our attention to some version of the classical republic, as idealized in Aristotle’s political writings andin Plato’s Republic, as opposed to a modern regime which, at its best or most intellectual, emphasizes modern science and technology in combination as a way to improve the human condition.

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Lloyd W. Robertson

Themen in »Political Philosophy in Gulliver’s Travels«

Gulliver's Travels Jonathan Swift politics four voyages morality ethics Anglicanism ancients moderns British politics Aristotle Plato human condition Society Republic

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“For the reader familiar with Swift's marvelous tale of Gulliver's fantastical voyages, Dr. Robertson illuminates a whole new dimension to this great book. Once glimpsed from this perspective, the reader discovers that Swift is providing us with a kind of roadmap we can use to our own liberal education. Drawing upon a great reservoir of learning from his study of political philosophy, Robertson guides us to a deeper understanding of Swift's intention in writing his tale. We learn how Swift the philosophical poet critically assesses the political and philosophical positions of the Ancients and the Moderns. We thus discover the permanent questions that characterize human life and define our contemporary dilemma. What constitutes knowledge? To what end ought we to use the power of modern science? What value should we place on human life? These are the kinds of profound questions explored by Swift, which we can investigate with Robertson as our skillful guide.” (Patrick Malcolmson, Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science, St. Thomas University, Canada)

“Robertson has made a great advance in the study of Jonathan Swift from within a political philosophy perspective. This is a much needed re-discovery of a Swift who is young and beautiful. We can all gain a new appreciation of Swift's greatness as a thinker in addition to a literary giant and, of course, a satirist with the most wicked wit the world has ever seen. This book will undoubtedly prove itself indispensable for all those harboring an interest in the Dean of St. Patrick's life and work. With the appearance of this book a bright new page in Swift Studies has been turned.” (Colin D. Pearce, Lyceum Professor, Lyceum Program, Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism, USA)

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