John Locke (1632–1704)
John Locke was an English philosopher whose writings influenced eighteenth-century understandings of education, human development, and the relationship between experience and knowledge.
In An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690), Locke argued that human knowledge develops through experience rather than originating entirely from innate ideas. In Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693), he emphasized the importance of education, habit, and early influences in shaping a person's development.
Locke's philosophy provides an interesting perspective on the development of character. If our earliest experiences help establish the habits and beliefs through which we interpret the world, how much control do we possess over the people we initially become?
Consider two children.
The first grows up in an environment where honesty is consistently encouraged and rewarded. The second grows up in an environment where deception is commonplace and dishonesty frequently produces personal advantages.
As adults, both encounter situations in which dishonesty would benefit them.
The first instinctively values honesty.
The second instinctively considers deception.
If their different responses reflect habits established during childhood, are both individuals equally responsible for the character traits they possess?
And once they recognize those traits, does their responsibility change?
Great literature should do more than entertain us. It should provide a roadmap to improving our lives.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens introduced readers to Sydney Carton, one of literature's most compelling and deeply flawed characters. Dickens also gives him an unusual title: the Jackal.
His struggles raise questions that remain relevant today.
Are we defined by our past mistakes? Can we overcome our weaknesses? What separates the people we are from the people we could become?
Lessons From the Jackal is a 25-day character study exploring these questions through Sydney Carton’s life, decisions, relationships, and personal development.
This is not a traditional course on A Tale of Two Cities. Our reading assignments will focus specifically on Carton, with sufficient background provided to understand his story. No previous knowledge of the novel is necessary.
Each day will feature selected readings, historical comparisons, reflection questions, discussions, and practical challenges ...
Sydney Carton appears to be a man resigned to his fate.
He recognizes the deterioration of his own character and seems convinced that his circumstances will only worsen. He is “overshadowed” by a “fatal darkness,” yet when Lucie asks why he does not change, he offers little hope that such a transformation is possible.
This resignation is particularly striking when we consider what Carton has already demonstrated himself capable of accomplishing.
He helped save Charles Darnay from a possible death sentence. His intelligence and legal abilities have contributed substantially to Stryver’s successful career. Yet despite these accomplishments, Carton seems unable to imagine a promising future for himself.
He has spent considerable time in the Manette household, often remaining withdrawn from the conversations around him. He sleeps little, continues to drink heavily, and wanders the stone streets near the Manettes’ home. Perhaps, during these solitary walks, he remembers the conversation about the echoes...
In the early 1780s, London was undergoing significant improvements to its streets and public walkways.
Many major roads were paved with stone blocks, while pedestrian footways were increasingly surfaced with broad, flat slabs of limestone. Legislation passed during the 1760s encouraged improvements in paving, drainage, and street maintenance.
Despite these improvements, London’s streets remained crowded, noisy, and frequently dirty.
Horse-drawn carriages and wagons rattled across the uneven stones, while the sound of iron-rimmed wheels and horses’ hooves echoed between the buildings. Rainwater collected along the gutters, carrying mud, manure, and other waste through the city.
Sydney Carton would have encountered these conditions as he walked through London’s streets.
One location particularly associated with Carton is King’s Bench Walk in the Inner Temple, the historic legal district where barristers maintained their chambers.
Dickens specifically describes Carton walking along King’s ...
