A love of justice: the legal and political thought of William Godwin

William Godwin was one of the most highly regarded of late English Enlightenment radicals. Yet today, he remains one of the least appreciated, and least understood. The purpose of this article is to present a broad introduction to Godwin's legal and political thought, focusing both on his various political essays and novels, as well as his more renowned Enquiry Concerning Political Justice. It will be suggested, in conclusion, that the ‘species of anarchly’ which Godwin espoused resonates very particularly with contemporary debates surrounding the shape of a distinctive postmodern legal humanism.