William Godwin (Godwin William)

(1756-1836)
Born March 3, 1756 in Uisbiche (Cambridgeshire) in the priest's family. Graduated Hokstonskuyu Theological Seminary. He served as rector of parishes in Huere, Stoumarkete and Beaconsfield. In 1782, decided to settle in London and to reform society is not so much by religion as his own works. Published anonymously Life Chatham (Life of Chatham, . 1783), . Outline of History (Sketch of History, . 1784) and a number of journal articles, . but wide fame came to him only in 1793 with the release of a study of political justice (Inquiry Concerning Political Justice),
. In this work he defined political justice as 'translating into practice the principles of morality and truth', arguing the human capacity to improve: the social evils should be eradicated by changing their causes.
His happy marriage to Mary Wollstonecraft was short-lived. She died of puerperal fever, leaving the hands of the newborn daughter of Godwin (later Mary Shelley, wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley) and young stepdaughter Fanny Imley. In 1801, Godwin married Mary Jane Clairmont grumpy, mother Claire, future mistress Dzh.Bayrona. To strengthen the precarious financial situation of the family, Godwin engaged in publishing and selling books, but did not succeed.

In addition to the above works, and the diary, which he led for 48 years, Godwin has written three novels - The Adventures of Caleb Williams (Adventures of Caleb Williams, 1794), Saint-Leon (St. Leon, . 1799) and Fleetwood (Fleetwood, . 1805); unfortunate tragedy of the play, Antonio (The Tragedy of Antonio, . 1800); A Memoir of the author (...) women's rights (Memoirs of the Author of the (...) Rights of Woman, . 1798), . Life of Chaucer (Life of Chaucer, . 1803), . On Population (Of Population, . 1820), . The history of social welfare (History of the Commonwealth, . 1824-1828), . as well as a number of smaller works,
. Godwin died in London on April 7, 1836.