The Evolution of Humanist Thought in English Literature Through a Critical Study of Textual and Cultural Transformations

Abstract

This study is based on a systematic textual analysis of the evolution of humanism in English literature over time, provided through the use of an empirical and methodologically sound approach to humanism in literature. The study employed a diachronically stratified database of written English literature, with data from early English literature through the Early Modern Period. To conduct this analysis, the researcher developed an analytic framework based on four themes. The themes of Humanism included: Human Agency, Ethics (i.e., Rationality and Morality), Social Responsibility, and Culture Inclusion. The findings of this research indicate that the discourse of humanist literature experienced a dramatic shift over time, and early English literature predominantly emphasized rational and universalistic morality (i.e. ethics), whereas, in contrast, the modern English literature has emphasized the themes of Humanism based on a social-contextual emphasis, pluralism, and culturally responsive forms of Humanism. This study demonstrates a strong evidence of the reciprocal relationship between literature and the construction of ethical values, where the literature’s narrative strategy mediates the ethical orientation of humanism in response to cultural changes. The findings from this research establish humanism in literature as an empirically defined discourse (as opposed to a theoretical construct), thus establishing the methodological standards for empirical studies of Humanism across multiple disciplines.