Podcast | Andy Wilson interviewed by Conor Kostick on William Blake, Surrealism, ecology, radical politics and theology, and how Blake's meaning has been distorted by contemporary Blakeans such as John Higgs.
It could be that Blake and his thinking are Irish and the normal English thinking and manners are Frankish or Germanic. Blake's strangeness to normal English thinking illustrates the cultural stress between the Anglicans (whose manners and values are mostly German), and the people of ancient British decent (Gaelic). These ancient Britons had a system of bardism, spoke Welsh, and lived on all the Islands; first on Ireland, and last on Wales. I like the modern writing of Schuchard, who emphasizes the Irishness of Blake's philosophical system. Blake can be approached as a late member of Bishop Berkeley's Irish school of Idealist philosophy.
I loved that you described Blake as a Christian who hated religion. So many modern critics avoid this moniker. His Christianity was ethical, not religious. It was his Christian faith that made him hate religion and priestcraft. Enjoyed this very much. Thanks.
"Man has no Body distinct from his soul; for that called Body is a portion of a Soul discerned by the five senses, the chief inlets of Soul in this age."
Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell pl4
and also:
"For all are Men in Eternity. Rivers Mountains Cities Villages,
All are Human & when you enter into their Bosoms you walk
In Heavens & Earths; as in your own Bosom you bear your Heaven
And Earth, & all you behold, tho it appears Without it is Within
In your Imagination of which this World of Mortality is but a Shadow.
Blake is contrasting with dualism. Rationalists think of the universe grit (material) first. For them, the mind rises from the material. For Blake and other idealists, the mind is primary and material is only an aspect of the mind. Romantic philosophy counters enlightenment rationalism (Rousseau, Voltaire). Blake also antagonizes Bacon, Newton, and Locke. He's grappling with the roots of rationalist science (not just the later enlightenment rationalists).
It could be that Blake and his thinking are Irish and the normal English thinking and manners are Frankish or Germanic. Blake's strangeness to normal English thinking illustrates the cultural stress between the Anglicans (whose manners and values are mostly German), and the people of ancient British decent (Gaelic). These ancient Britons had a system of bardism, spoke Welsh, and lived on all the Islands; first on Ireland, and last on Wales. I like the modern writing of Schuchard, who emphasizes the Irishness of Blake's philosophical system. Blake can be approached as a late member of Bishop Berkeley's Irish school of Idealist philosophy.
I loved that you described Blake as a Christian who hated religion. So many modern critics avoid this moniker. His Christianity was ethical, not religious. It was his Christian faith that made him hate religion and priestcraft. Enjoyed this very much. Thanks.
Could Blake's metaphysics be compared to modern day non dualism?
I think so. He says:
"Man has no Body distinct from his soul; for that called Body is a portion of a Soul discerned by the five senses, the chief inlets of Soul in this age."
Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell pl4
and also:
"For all are Men in Eternity. Rivers Mountains Cities Villages,
All are Human & when you enter into their Bosoms you walk
In Heavens & Earths; as in your own Bosom you bear your Heaven
And Earth, & all you behold, tho it appears Without it is Within
In your Imagination of which this World of Mortality is but a Shadow.
Blake, Jerusalem 71:15-9
which seem monistic to me
Yes, those are the quotes I was in mind of, and Rupert Spira has also quoted that.
Blake is contrasting with dualism. Rationalists think of the universe grit (material) first. For them, the mind rises from the material. For Blake and other idealists, the mind is primary and material is only an aspect of the mind. Romantic philosophy counters enlightenment rationalism (Rousseau, Voltaire). Blake also antagonizes Bacon, Newton, and Locke. He's grappling with the roots of rationalist science (not just the later enlightenment rationalists).
Yes, check out Rupert Spira if you haven't already!