Abstract
This essay reassesses the relationship between Protestantism and the rise of individuality in the early modern period, specifically the claim that Puritanism encouraged believers to scrutinize their internal psyche for signs of election and thus helped form a modern subjectivity located within an interior essence. Instead, this essay argues that in Milton's prose autobiographical statements and in Puritan life writing, the true location of individual identity lies not within but without. These writers offer an important step in the creation of modern identity precisely because they devalue the interior self rather than celebrating or essentializing it.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
