Defoe's "Mobbish" Utopias

Abstract:Daniel Defoe was regarded by many of his contemporaries as a somewhat sinister figure—a representative of the “commonwealth principles” that had propelled the rebellion against Charles I and the advent of Oliver Cromwell. He was viewed, particularly by the Tories, as a proponent of mob rule, an enemy of the divine right of kings, and a proponent of a completely egalitarian society. The Whigs had a somewhat more favorable opinion of him, at least until his defense of the “Tory” peace with France in 1712. Most of these criticisms were correct. Some of his principles were indeed both “Hobbish” and “Mobbish.” In fact, Defoe believed in the equality of each person at birth, and he believed that government, at its moment of formation, depended on the will of every person. He also believed that a properly informed “mob,” such as that of the Revolution of 1688–89, might be the instrument through which a bad government could be removed. But if self-defense was his most essential principle, he did not believe it would ever lead to absolutism. The heroes and heroines of his fictions tend to rise, through their natural abilities, from dire poverty or extreme conditions to considerable wealth.