On Prejudice by William Hazlitt (Summary & Analysis)

On Prejudice

by William Hazlitt

(Summary & Analysis)

 

William Hazlitt (1778-1830) was born at Maidstone, Kent, England. He was the son of a Unitarian minister. His father has strong liberal views which were inherited by the son. He came under the influence of S.T. Coleridge and chose writing as his career. He was introduced to other literally persons by Charles Lamb who became his friend in London. Hazlitt started his career as a prolific journalist, parliamentary reporter, dramatic and literary critic, essayist and lecturer. He showed his concern for his country and was supporter of the French Revolution.

After 1812 he wrote profusely for various periodicals including Edinburgh Review. His writings turned from political journalism to literary criticism and essay. Some of his works are:

1.               A view of the English Stage - 1818

2.               Lectures on the English Poets - 1818

3.               Lectures on the English comic writers - 1819

4.               Table Talk - 1821-22

5.               The Spirit of the Age - 1825

6.               Life of Napoleon - 1828-30

Hazlitt’s great achievement is that he made his livelihood from criticism. He disliked formulas of criticism.  The critics, admit that he was a voracious reader and his immense contribution, as a critical historian to the field of English Literature, cannot be denied.

Hazlitt has written the essay in a very lucid, clear, precise, terse and proverbial style. There are many aphoristic lines in the essay which needs detailed explanation; these lines constitute his minute observations about human nature regarding prejudice.

Hazlitt has described the nature of prejudice, and the factors which are responsible for causing it. All these have been written in a systematic way. The emotions are very common in human nature and can be noticed in all races and cultures all over the world.

The writer begins the essay by defining prejudice which means prejudging i.e., coming of conclusion about something without facts, figures, reasons or logics. The factors leasing to prejudging are ignorance, hatred and self-willingness. If we are ignorant about some matter, we are inclined to decide on the basis of pre-existing ill-founded ideas on the subject. Those who are in the habit of taking decision under introversion are liable to be prejudiced because a limited knowledge of the proposition may lead them to decide in an unjustified way. This happens in the case of religion, form of Government, different social norms of various communities or geographical regions. Narrow-mindedness and short vision lead to prejudice and ill-judging. The notion of majority and minority also puzzles our vision. Some people think majority is always right but we know many a times, it is made of fools. Numbers should not decide what is right or what is wrong. Majority is equally liable to commit errors. We always wish that others should surrender to our whims without reason or rhyme. But we are not ready to accept that our conclusions can be wrong and fatal.

This essay falls into a different category as it is bereft to verbosity and digressions. In this essay, the writer has explained what causes prejudice. One of the main reasons to be prejudiced against something or someone is ignorance. Prejudice means prejudging which excludes coming to a conclusion based on reason. But if we do not know the thing or the idea, we try to decide in our own favour without knowing the facts on the other side. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing and thus ignorance causes prejudice in favour or against any idea concerning religion, politics or day to day life.

The writer has tried to convey his ideas about prejudice in a very lucid, terse, aphoristic and proverbial style. The essay is a good example to prove that Hazlitt can write in the style of Bacon. The subject matter is unlike the other essays of Hazlitt which deal with contemporary and autobiographical details. It is not meant for any individual, but like Bacon’s proverbial lines, has a universal appeal.

William Hazlitt has written many essays and most of them are full of autobiographical details and contemporary references, but this essay is different from most of the other essays as it has been written in the style of Bacon.

Commenting on the role of ignorance leading to prejudice, Hazlitt says that ignorance makes a person rude and insolent. Ignorant people are not ready to understand the point of view of other people. They have little knowledge of the given topic and judge things according to their own whims and notions. They are intolerant towards the view expressed by the other party and thus become rude and insolent. This is explained by a comparison of such people with barbarous people who are cruel and terrible. Uncivilized people are hard-hearted and uncultured and therefore become cruel and terrible towards others. This is an important universal observation applicable to all nations and all times.

Hazlitt has written in the vein of Bacon and thus has universal applicability instead of autobiographical or personal and individualized references. This is away from verbosity and rambling manner which is quite usual with Hazlitt. Thus the subject matter and the style of the present way are different from those of the other essays.