Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct is a book published in 1859 by Samuel Smiles. The second edition of 1866 added Perseverance to the subtitle. It has been called "the bible of mid-Victorian liberalism".
 Samuel Smiles by Sir George Reid | |
| Author | Samuel Smiles |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | John Murray |
Publication date | 1859 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Preceded by | The Life of George Stephenson |
| Followed by | Brief Biographies |
| Text | Self-Help at Wikisource |
Contents
Smiles was not very successful in his careers as a doctor and journalist. He joined several cooperative ventures, but they failed for lack of capital. Disillusioned, he turned away from middle-class utopianism, and finally found intellectual refuge and national fame in the isolation of self-help. He extolled the virtues of self-help, industry, and perseverance. However, he rejected the application of laissez-faire to critical areas such as public health and education. According to historian Asa Briggs:
- Self-help was one of the favorite mid-Victorian virtues. Relying on yourself was preferred morally—and economically—to depending on others. It was an expression of character even when it did not endure ... The progressive development of society ultimately depended, it was argued, not on collective action or on parliamentary legislation but on the prevalence of practices of self-help.
Smiles built his argument using three concepts from the 18th-century Enlightenment. The concept of environmental determinism gave rise to the "passive" component in his thought. That allowed him to argue for the removal, by government intervention, of major hindrances that prevented the full development of the individual. A second theme was that a person's intellectual faculty matured last. That led him to emphasize the "active" role, stressing self-education and self-help. Finally he assumed there existed a beneficent natural order.
Contents of the second edition
- Preface
- Introduction to the First Edition
- Descriptive Contents
- Self-Help—National and Individual
- Leaders of Industry—Inventors and Producers
- Three Great Potters—Palissy, Böttgher, Wedgwood
- Application and Perseverance
- Helps and Opportunities—Scientific Pursuit
- Workers in Art
- Industry and the Peerage
- Energy and Courage
- Men of Business
- Money—Its Use and Abuse
- Self-Culture—Facilities and Difficulties
- Example—Models
- Character—the True Gentleman
Reception
Self-Help sold 20,000 copies within one year of its publication. By the time of Smiles' death in 1904 it had sold over a quarter of a million.Self-Help "elevated [Smiles] to celebrity status: almost overnight, he became a leading pundit and much-consulted guru". The book was translated and published in Dutch, French, Danish, German, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Arabic, Turkish, and in several Indian languages. In the preface to his 1880 book, Duty, Smiles wrote of Self-Help, "In America, the book has been more widely published and read than in Great Britain".
The three didactic self-help juvenile novels published by English author G. A. Henty in the 1880s shows Smiles' influence. Each was an exposition of the philosophy of self-help as expressed by Smiles.
When an English visitor to the Khedive's palace in Egypt asked where the mottoes on the palace's walls originated, he was given the reply: "They are principally from Smeelis, you ought to know Smeelis! They are from his Self-Help."
The socialist Robert Tressell, in his novel The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, said Self-Help was a book "suitable for perusal by persons suffering from almost complete obliteration of the mental faculties".
The founder of Toyota, Sakichi Toyoda was significantly influenced by his reading of Self-Help. A copy of Self-Help is under a glass display at the museum that exists on Sakichi Toyoda's birth site.
Robert Blatchford, a socialist activist, said it was "one of the most delightful and invigorating books it has been my happy fortune to meet with" and argued it should be taught in schools. However he also noted that socialists would not feel comfortable with Smiles' individualism but also noted that Smiles denounced "the worship of power, wealth, success, and keeping up appearances".: 68–9 A labour leader advised Blatchford to stay away from it: "It's a brutal book; it ought to be burnt by the common hangman. Smiles was the arch-Philistine, and his book the apotheosis of respectability, gigmanity, and selfish grab".: 68 However Jonathan Rose has argued that most pre-1914 labour leaders who commented on Self-Help praised it and it was not until after the First World War that criticisms of Smiles in worker's memoirs appeared.: 68–9 The Labour Party MPs William Johnson and Thomas Summerbell admired Smiles' work and the Communist miners leader A. J. Cook "started out with Self-Help".: 69 Alexander Tyrell, (1970) argues that there were multiple value systems among the middle class, and that Smiles approach was one of many.
Notes
- M. J. Cohen and John Major (eds.), History in Quotations (London: Cassell, 2004), p. 611.
- Robert J. Morris, "Samuel Smiles and the genesis of Self-Help; the retreat to a petit bourgeois utopia." Historical Journal 24.1 (1981): 89-109.
- Asa Briggs, "Samuel Smiles: The Gospel of Self-Help." History Today (May 1987) 37#5 pp 37–43.
- Briggs, 1987, p. 37.
- T.H.E. Travers, "Samuel Smiles and the origins of 'self-help': Reform and the new enlightenment." Albion 9.2 (1977): 161–187.
- Peter W. Sinnema, 'Introduction', in Samuel Smiles, Self-Help (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002), p. vii.
- Sinnema, p. vii.
- Briggs, Asa (2015). "Chapter 5 : Samuel Smiles and the Gospel of Work". Victorian People: A Reassessment of Persons and Themes, 1851-67. University of Chicago Press. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-226-21947-9 – via De Gruyter.
- *Jeffrey Richards, "Spreading the Gospel of Self-Help: G. A. Henty and Samuel Smiles", Journal of Popular Culture, 16 (1982), pp. 52–65.
- Sinnema, p. xxiv.
- Robert Tressell, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists (Penguin, 2004), pp. 572–73.
- Jeffrey K Liker, The Toyota Way (McGraw Hill, 2004), pp. 17.
- Rose, J.; Yale University Press (2001). The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes. Yale Nota Bene. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-08886-1.
- Alexander Tyrell, "Class Consciousness in Early Victorian Britain: Samuel Smiles, Leeds Politics, and the Self-Help Creed." Journal of British Studies 9.2 (1970): 102-125.
Further reading
- Asa Briggs, "Samuel Smiles: The Gospel of Self-Help." History Today (May 1987) 37#5 pp 37–43.
- Asa Briggs, "Samuel Smiles and the Gospel of Work" in Asa Briggs, Victorian People (1955) pp. 116–139, online
- Asa Briggs, 'A Centenary Introduction' to Self-Help by Samuel Smiles (London: John Murray, 1958).
- Tom Butler-Bowdon, Self-Help by Samuel Smiles, in 50 Self-Help Classics: 50 Inspirational Books to Transform Your Life (London: Nicholas Brealey, 2003).
- Christopher Clausen, "How to Join the Middle Classes with the Help of Dr. Smiles and Mrs. Beeton", American Scholar, 62 (1993), pp. 403–18. online
- Kenneth Fielden, 'Samuel Smiles and Self-Help', Victorian Studies, 12 (1968), pp. 155–76.
- Lord Harris of High Cross, 'Foreword', Self-Help (Civitas: Institute for the Study of Civil Society, 1996).
- Sir Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Capital: 1848–1875 (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson,1975).
- Sir Keith Joseph, 'Foreword', Self-Help (Sidgwick & Jackson, 1986).
- R. J. Morris, "Samuel Smiles and the Genesis of 'Self-Help'", Historical Journal, 24 (1981), pp. 89–109. online
- Jeffrey Richards, "Spreading the Gospel of Self-Help: G. A. Henty and Samuel Smiles", Journal of Popular Culture, 16 (1982), pp. 52–65.
- Tim Travers, "Samuel Smiles and the Origins of 'Self-Help': Reform and the New Enlightenment", Albion, 9 (1977), pp. 161–87. online
- Tim Travers, "Samuel Smiles and the Pursuit of Success in Victorian Britain", Canadian Historical Association Historical Papers (1971), pp. 154–168.
- Alexander Tyrrell, "Class Consciousness in Early Victorian Britain: Samuel Smiles, Leeds Politics, and the Self-Help Creed." Journal of British Studies 9.2 (1970): 102-125. online
External links
- Original Text Self Help; with Illustrations of Conduct and Perseverance by Samuel Smiles, 1897 edition, at Project Gutenberg
Self Help public domain audiobook at LibriVox
Self Help with Illustrations of Character and Conduct is a book published in 1859 by Samuel Smiles The second edition of 1866 added Perseverance to the subtitle It has been called the bible of mid Victorian liberalism Self HelpSamuel Smiles by Sir George ReidAuthorSamuel SmilesLanguageEnglishPublisherJohn MurrayPublication date1859Publication placeUnited KingdomPreceded byThe Life of George Stephenson Followed byBrief Biographies TextSelf Help at WikisourceContentsSmiles was not very successful in his careers as a doctor and journalist He joined several cooperative ventures but they failed for lack of capital Disillusioned he turned away from middle class utopianism and finally found intellectual refuge and national fame in the isolation of self help He extolled the virtues of self help industry and perseverance However he rejected the application of laissez faire to critical areas such as public health and education According to historian Asa Briggs Self help was one of the favorite mid Victorian virtues Relying on yourself was preferred morally and economically to depending on others It was an expression of character even when it did not endure The progressive development of society ultimately depended it was argued not on collective action or on parliamentary legislation but on the prevalence of practices of self help Smiles built his argument using three concepts from the 18th century Enlightenment The concept of environmental determinism gave rise to the passive component in his thought That allowed him to argue for the removal by government intervention of major hindrances that prevented the full development of the individual A second theme was that a person s intellectual faculty matured last That led him to emphasize the active role stressing self education and self help Finally he assumed there existed a beneficent natural order Contents of the second edition PrefaceIntroduction to the First EditionDescriptive Contents Self Help National and IndividualLeaders of Industry Inventors and ProducersThree Great Potters Palissy Bottgher WedgwoodApplication and PerseveranceHelps and Opportunities Scientific PursuitWorkers in ArtIndustry and the PeerageEnergy and CourageMen of BusinessMoney Its Use and AbuseSelf Culture Facilities and DifficultiesExample ModelsCharacter the True GentlemanReceptionSamuel Smiles by Spy in Vanity Fair 1882 Self Help sold 20 000 copies within one year of its publication By the time of Smiles death in 1904 it had sold over a quarter of a million Self Help elevated Smiles to celebrity status almost overnight he became a leading pundit and much consulted guru The book was translated and published in Dutch French Danish German Italian Russian Japanese Arabic Turkish and in several Indian languages In the preface to his 1880 book Duty Smiles wrote of Self Help In America the book has been more widely published and read than in Great Britain The three didactic self help juvenile novels published by English author G A Henty in the 1880s shows Smiles influence Each was an exposition of the philosophy of self help as expressed by Smiles When an English visitor to the Khedive s palace in Egypt asked where the mottoes on the palace s walls originated he was given the reply They are principally from Smeelis you ought to know Smeelis They are from his Self Help The socialist Robert Tressell in his novel The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists said Self Help was a book suitable for perusal by persons suffering from almost complete obliteration of the mental faculties The founder of Toyota Sakichi Toyoda was significantly influenced by his reading of Self Help A copy of Self Help is under a glass display at the museum that exists on Sakichi Toyoda s birth site Robert Blatchford a socialist activist said it was one of the most delightful and invigorating books it has been my happy fortune to meet with and argued it should be taught in schools However he also noted that socialists would not feel comfortable with Smiles individualism but also noted that Smiles denounced the worship of power wealth success and keeping up appearances 68 9 A labour leader advised Blatchford to stay away from it It s a brutal book it ought to be burnt by the common hangman Smiles was the arch Philistine and his book the apotheosis of respectability gigmanity and selfish grab 68 However Jonathan Rose has argued that most pre 1914 labour leaders who commented on Self Help praised it and it was not until after the First World War that criticisms of Smiles in worker s memoirs appeared 68 9 The Labour Party MPs William Johnson and Thomas Summerbell admired Smiles work and the Communist miners leader A J Cook started out with Self Help 69 Alexander Tyrell 1970 argues that there were multiple value systems among the middle class and that Smiles approach was one of many NotesM J Cohen and John Major eds History in Quotations London Cassell 2004 p 611 Robert J Morris Samuel Smiles and the genesis of Self Help the retreat to a petit bourgeois utopia Historical Journal 24 1 1981 89 109 Asa Briggs Samuel Smiles The Gospel of Self Help History Today May 1987 37 5 pp 37 43 Briggs 1987 p 37 T H E Travers Samuel Smiles and the origins of self help Reform and the new enlightenment Albion 9 2 1977 161 187 Peter W Sinnema Introduction in Samuel Smiles Self Help Oxford Oxford University Press 2002 p vii Sinnema p vii Briggs Asa 2015 Chapter 5 Samuel Smiles and the Gospel of Work Victorian People A Reassessment of Persons and Themes 1851 67 University of Chicago Press p 118 ISBN 978 0 226 21947 9 via De Gruyter Jeffrey Richards Spreading the Gospel of Self Help G A Henty and Samuel Smiles Journal of Popular Culture 16 1982 pp 52 65 Sinnema p xxiv Robert Tressell The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists Penguin 2004 pp 572 73 Jeffrey K Liker The Toyota Way McGraw Hill 2004 pp 17 Rose J Yale University Press 2001 The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes Yale Nota Bene Yale University Press ISBN 978 0 300 08886 1 Alexander Tyrell Class Consciousness in Early Victorian Britain Samuel Smiles Leeds Politics and the Self Help Creed Journal of British Studies 9 2 1970 102 125 Further readingAsa Briggs Samuel Smiles The Gospel of Self Help History Today May 1987 37 5 pp 37 43 Asa Briggs Samuel Smiles and the Gospel of Work in Asa Briggs Victorian People 1955 pp 116 139 online Asa Briggs A Centenary Introduction to Self Help by Samuel Smiles London John Murray 1958 Tom Butler Bowdon Self Help by Samuel Smiles in 50 Self Help Classics 50 Inspirational Books to Transform Your Life London Nicholas Brealey 2003 Christopher Clausen How to Join the Middle Classes with the Help of Dr Smiles and Mrs Beeton American Scholar 62 1993 pp 403 18 online Kenneth Fielden Samuel Smiles and Self Help Victorian Studies 12 1968 pp 155 76 Lord Harris of High Cross Foreword Self Help Civitas Institute for the Study of Civil Society 1996 Sir Eric Hobsbawm The Age of Capital 1848 1875 London Weidenfeld and Nicolson 1975 Sir Keith Joseph Foreword Self Help Sidgwick amp Jackson 1986 R J Morris Samuel Smiles and the Genesis of Self Help Historical Journal 24 1981 pp 89 109 online Jeffrey Richards Spreading the Gospel of Self Help G A Henty and Samuel Smiles Journal of Popular Culture 16 1982 pp 52 65 Tim Travers Samuel Smiles and the Origins of Self Help Reform and the New Enlightenment Albion 9 1977 pp 161 87 online Tim Travers Samuel Smiles and the Pursuit of Success in Victorian Britain Canadian Historical Association Historical Papers 1971 pp 154 168 Alexander Tyrrell Class Consciousness in Early Victorian Britain Samuel Smiles Leeds Politics and the Self Help Creed Journal of British Studies 9 2 1970 102 125 onlineExternal linksOriginal Text Self Help with Illustrations of Conduct and Perseverance by Samuel Smiles 1897 edition at Project Gutenberg Self Help public domain audiobook at LibriVox
