Jonathan Swift
life
works
he was born in 1667 in Dublin
his parents were English
his family returned in England at the time of
the Glorious Revolution
Swift became a secretary to Sir William
Temple (Whig)
who encouraged him to write his first
satirical works
"The Battle of Books" about merits of ancient and modern
literature
"A Tale of a Tub"
he defence the classicals
mocked the self-satisfaction of modern
scholarship, criticism and poetry
it is about the contending religious parties
of the day
the superstition of the Catholics and the
fanaticism of the Dissenters
when he return in Dublin in 1694 he was ordained Anglican priest in 1713
he wrote pamphlets denouncing
the injustices that Ireland suffered from
"The Drapier's Letters" with a fake name attack the government's
proposal
for a new coinage which would have
increased the poverty in Ireland
"Travels into Several Remote Nations of the
World" "Gulliver Travels"
controversial writer
he is the most controversial English writer he has been labelled as misanthrope
his attitude was conservative he didn't share the optimism of his age and
the pride in England
he defined himself a hater of man the man is an animal capable of reason
reason is an instrument that must be used
properly
too intensive a use of reason is an error of
judgement
he found in irony and satire the means that suited his temperament and
his interests
