Art and Literature

As the most celebrated British poet of the early eighteenth century, Alexander Pope (1688-1744) was a highly influential figure in the formation and articulation of sociable ideals. However, while he prided himself on his capacity for friendship, his own relationship to the social expectations of his time was far from comfortable.

Anthony Ashley Cooper, third Earl of Shaftesbury (1671-1713), is unarguably among those authors who contributed most fundamentally to defining the concept of ‘sociability’ for thinkers in both Great Britain and the Continent.

Interpellant les consciences sur le thème de l’esclavage dans son roman Oroonoko (1688) et exaltant la liberté individuelle ou les droits des femmes dans ses pièces de théâtre, Aphra Behn est considérée comme une des premières femmes écrivains d’Angleterre.

In the history of sociability, Charles Macklin, born Cathal MacLochlainn (1699?–1797) exemplifies the Irish Enlightenment and successful access to British social circles, London theatres, Anglo-Irish debating and charitable societies.

Daniel Defoe was best known as a writer and his primary social networks grew out of his intense engagement with the print trade. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Defoe’s sociability relied much less on interpersonal ties of family, friendship, religion or civic obligation.