Thomas Carlyle
Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher
Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. His history The French Revolution made him a celebrity in Victorian Britain.
1 summary 16 min of listening
British Born 1795 in Ecclefechan Died 1881
Influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson
About Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was born in Ecclefechan, Dumfriesshire, in 1795. He studied at the University of Edinburgh and prepared to become a minister, but he left that path and settled on literature. He wrote for the Edinburgh Encyclopædia and worked as a translator, and he first became known for his writing on German Romantic literature and philosophy. His first major work was the semi-autobiographical novel Sartor Resartus. After moving to London he published The French Revolution: A History in 1837, and its popular success made him a celebrity. His later works include On Heroes, Past and Present and Frederick the Great. Known as the "sage of Chelsea", Carlyle founded the London Library. In 1865 he took up the office of Lord Rector at his old university in Edinburgh. He died in 1881.