The Victorian period was a difficult time for many people, especially those in lower classes of society. It was governed by what many consider to be excess morality, with most Victorian principals centered around religious views.
This led to the oppression of free thought and sparked an underground assembly of academics. Even amongst groups of people who would be considered the “intellectual elite” of society, such as doctors, there was much resistance to new information and discovery.
For example, Ignaz Semmelweis, the Hungarian doctor who discovered the power of handwashing in 1847, wasn’t taken seriously during his lifetime. He would eventually commit suicide while committed to an insane asylum, and the practice wouldn’t become widespread until 1870.
This History of Victorian Principals and the Academic Movement
To understand how Victorian principals affected the underground academic movement you first must understand what life was like in the Victorian age. Specifically, what kind of living was expected of the people who lived during that time.
It’s a time that seems very far removed from our modern society, and yet so close in many ways too.
The Victorian era, primarily, had a focus on morality. This intertwined with Evangelicalism, and purity revered. People were expected to stay morally sound, work hard, and strive always to improve themselves.
Societal hierarchy went farther than just being upper or lower class, although that was a large part of civilization at the time. Men and women were also separated as being different spheres entirely – with men having more strength to go out and work, but also being morally weaker, while women tended to homes and were expected to show more purity.
Of course, the working classes were often too poor to live under such conditions with both men and women often earning incomes just to survive.
Other Influences
It’s not all bad though – it was during this era that many cruelties were abolished or regulated including slavery, animal abuse, and child labour. Greed and exploitation was considered evil (think: Scrooge from Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carol’) by society at large.
As a whole, society started to draw itself inward with more people having separate home lives and privacy. This is due to the industrialization of the time, which brought a larger middle class that could afford the “luxury” of a private home.
Indoctrination started early and most stories for children featured moral storylines and overtones. Classic literature, such as the works of William Shakespeare, were considered too morally impure for children.
A Queen Ruled, But Men Were Kings
Despite being ruled over by Queen Victoria (hence the namesake), Victorian principals dictated a society that was highly patriarchal. This is in part because of how religion played into society, since most religions elevate men.
As mentioned above, men and women inhabited separate spheres. This meant that women were expected to stay away from men’s spaces which included work, politics, commerce, and public speaking. The domain of women, on the other hand, caring for the family, the husband, and leading the family in a moral capacity.
Thus the nuclear family was born and idealized.
While some rebellious women challenged this notion, overall it was far more difficult for women to engage in all parts of society they wished to.
The Birth of Freethinkers
For every push there is a pull in society, and as religion dominated the country in both values and battle, agnostics emerged. Some discussed theology and how belief in a God was not necessary to maintain morality – something that was very controversial at the time.
As Charles Darwin released the Origin of the Species and the study of anthropology moved from curiosities to actual study, more people were interested in pursing science over religion.
By the late 1800s the literacy rate rose, further encouraging intellectualism as a whole, mainly due to the popularization of public schools. The publishing industry also grew during this time and encouraged more reading.
This period of time in the US was considered to be the “Golden Age of Freethought”, partially in thanks to so many scientific discoveries occurring from the 1850s onward.
Some men of science or academics would even go so far as to gather in groups with other freethinkers, usually at one of their homes, to discuss politics, international policy, theology, and ways they could use their influence.
Communism had some influence, but not a lot in England compared to other parts of Europe. Some thinkers did embrace the principals in small ways, but there was no overall shift in how the working class felt even with the ideas of Karl Marx available to them – perhaps due to Britain already being a democratic society.
Freethought shook things up and essentially disproved the literal words of the bible used in Victorian Principals – which in turn changed how society felt towards religion as a whole.
In Modern Society
While classic Victorian principles aren’t widely accepted anymore, many aspects including the nuclear family, oppressions of women, and attempts to stifle scientific advancement using “morality” remain.
Like the freethinkers of the past, continuing to challenge these “family values” puts pressure on religious and oppressive groups and promotes the advancement of society, both women and men, as a whole.
We owe many parts of our culture to Victorian Era morals though, including the elimination of slavery (at least for the British), child labour laws, and even regulated work days/weeks in terms of hours worked.
While we give a lot of credit to the great Freethinkers of this era, it’s also important to recognize that many were not without criticism. In some cases, their work went unchecked and unregulated. For example, it was common in anthropology to impress your own values and create a narrative of the people living there, some that would go on to be incorrectly accepted as fact for years to come.
Others, due to their position in society, were able to commit crimes and scandals without having to suffer great punishment for them.
Finally, one must also recognize the lack of women in history, especially during this time, due to their oppressions. It can only be imagined what other great discoveries might have been mad at the time should they have been allowed to participate in the male spheres of society. The effects of this still remain in society today where women must fight much harder than men for equal positions.
