Godwin and Willam James: The psychology of progess

The development of Godwin's ideas from an apparently uncompromising rationalism towards empiricism, sensibility, and a putative Romanticism has been largely regarded as progressively less interesting and original. Recent studies, however, have been more enthusiastic about Godwin's empiricism. This article seeks to situate Godwin within the new coordinates of Romantic thought, demonstrating the similarities between his epistemology and that of William James and drawing attention to the deconstructive turn in Godwin's revisions to Political Justice and his later work. It argues that these revisions profoundly affect his view of history and progress.