March of Intellect

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A set of sketches by John Abernethy satirising the March of Intellect, 1829.
March of Intellect by William Heath.
March of Intellect N°2 by William Heath.
March of Intellect by Robert Seymour.

The March of Intellect, or the 'March of mind', was the subject of heated debate in early nineteenth-century England, one side welcoming the progress of society towards greater, and more widespread, knowledge and understanding, the other deprecating the modern mania for progress and for new-fangled ideas.

The 'March' debate was seen by

Mary Dorothy George as a public reflection of the changes in British society associated with industrialisation, democracy and shifting social statuses – changes welcomed by some and not by others.[1]

Origins and context

The roots of the controversy over the March of intellect can be traced back to the spread of education to two new groups in England after 1800 – children and the working-class.[2] 1814 saw the first use of the term the 'march of Mind' as a poem written by Mary Russell Mitford for the Lancastrian Society,[3] and the latter's work in bringing education to children was soon rivalled by the efforts of the Established Church.[4]

The March of Intellect forms part of nineteenth-century debates over

Mechanics' Institutes,[7] as well as the growth of Literary and Philosophical Societies,[8]
meant something of a revolution in adult reading habits.

The working classes had limited access to knowledge owing to poor literacy rates and the expensive cost of printed materials relative to wages. The Spa Fields Riots and Peterloo Massacre raised concerns about revolution and the violent unrest created resistance among the elite towards educating the lower classes.[9] Other conservative commentators supported educating the working class as a means of control. The Edinburgh Review commented in 1813 on the hopes of 'a universal system of education' that would 'encourage foresight and self-respect among the lower orders.' Through education, the working class would know their economic position in life and this would prevent further outbreaks of political unrest.[10] Liberal Whig supporters of educating the working classes, such as Henry Brougham, believed in 'the greatest happiness of the greatest number' outlined by Bentham's utilitarian philosophy.[11] The sciences were seen by these supporters as valuable knowledge for the working classes and debates on the best means of diffusing knowledge was debated.[12]

Peak

Interest in the so-called March of Intellect came to a peak in the 1820s. On the one hand, the

University College, London
, seemed to epitomise the new progress of the age.

But the same phenomenon of the March of Intellect was equally hailed by conservatives as epitomising everything they rejected about the new age:

cartoons. Cartoons were frequently used in the nineteenth century to explore current affairs and were becoming increasingly accessible during the peak of the March of Intellect. William Heath’s collection of prints published between 1825 and 1829 have become central representations of the debate.[16] Heath used machines, steam-powered vehicles and other forms of technology in his work to mock liberal Whiggish ambitions that problems in society could be solved through widespread education. The scenes present futuristic visions of society whereby issues such as travel, emigration and postal delivery had been conquered by technological innovation through knowledge.[17] They represent some of the advances in everyday life such as faster travel due to the extension of the railway and the rise in exchanging letters. These and other satirical works from the period recognised that a transformation within society was already in motion, but were ambiguous as to whether reform would be progressive or damaging. For example, Robert Seymour's cartoon entitled 'The March of Intellect' (c.1828) in which a giant automaton sweeps away quacks, delayed parliamentary bills and court cases, can be seen as apocalyptic in its attempt to improve society.[18] The March of Intellect remained ambivalent throughout satire, but recurrently criticised the ambition of educating the working class. In Peacock's 1831 novel Crotchet Castle, one character, Dr. Folliott, satirised the "Steam Intellect Society" and linked the march explicitly to folly, rural protest and the rise in crime: "the march of mind...marched in through my back-parlour shutters, and out again with my silver spoons".[19] Peacock had earlier parodied the Utilitarian take on the role of the modern poet:[20] "The march of his intellect is like that of a crab, backward"[21]

Victorian accommodation

The March of Mind was used by the Whigs as one argument for the

Great Reform Act; and after a decade of reform and railway, the idea of progress became something of a Victorian truism.[22] Continuing concerns related more to ameliorating its effects than turning back the clock – philosophers fearing over-education would reduce moral and physical fibre,[23] poets seeking to preserve individuality in the face of the utilitarian march.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ M. Dorothy George, Hogarth to Cruikshank (London 1967) p. 177
  2. ^ G. M. Trevelyan, British History in the Nineteenth Century (London 1922) pp. 163–5
  3. ^ M. Dorothy George, Hogarth to Cruikshank (London 1967) p. 181n
  4. ^ G. M. Trevelyan, British History in the Nineteenth Century (London 1922) pp. 163–4
  5. ^ Burns, James. "From 'Polite Learning' to 'Useful Knowledge' | History Today". www.historytoday.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  6. ^ "Science Publishing". www.victorianweb.org. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  7. ^ G. M. Trevelyan, British History in the Nineteenth Century (London 1922) p. 164
  8. ^ B. Hilton, A Mad, Bad, & Dangerous People? (Oxford 2008) pp. 171–2
  9. ISBN 0822383152
    .
  10. ^ "From 'Polite Learning' to 'Useful Knowledge' | History Today". www.historytoday.com. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
  11. ^ "History, 1826: Unshackling education- UCL is established". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
  12. ^ "Science Publishing". www.victorianweb.org. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
  13. ^ Quoted in M. Dorothy George, Hogarth to Cruikshank (London 1967) p. 177
  14. ^ Alice Jenkins, Space and the March of Mind (2007) p. 16
  15. ^ M. Dorothy George, Hogarth to Cruikshank (London 1967) p. 177
  16. ^ "March of Intellect". The British Library. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
  17. ^ Schupbach, William (2011). "Flying postmen and magic glass". Wellcome Library. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
  18. ISBN 9780226902234
    .
  19. ^ Thomas Love Peacock, Nightmare Abbey and Crotchet Castle (London 1947) pp. 212–3, and pp. 105–6, p. 219
  20. ^ M. H Abrams, The Mirror and the Lamp (Oxford 1953) p. 126
  21. ^ Quoted in Ben Wilson, Decency and Disorder (London 2007) p. 317
  22. ^ B. Hilton, A Mad, Bad, & Dangerous People? (Oxford 2008) p. 611
  23. ^ E. Gargano, Reading Victorian Schoolrooms (2013) p. 140
  24. ^ J. Bristow, The Victorian Poet (2014) p. 8

See also Magee, D, 'Popular periodicals, common readers and the "grand march of intellect" in London, 1819-32' (DPhil, Oxon 2008).

External links

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