ABSTRACT
The Lake Poets and Carlyle assailed the fundamental premises and conclusions of liberal, utilitarian, and materialistic thinking, thus questioning the very attitude that, during the period considered largely determined British points of view with regard to empire and imperial problems. Common to all the Lake Poets was the deep conviction that life dominated by “calculating, meddling reason” led to debasement of human kind. The views of the Lake Poets on the subject of material wealth were equally at variance with the utilitarians. Thomas Carlyle castigated the hateful Liberalism of his epoch which to him meant nothing but “Anarchy plus the Constable.” Carlyle castigated the hateful Liberalism of his epoch which to him meant nothing but “Anarchy plus the Constable.” The Lake Poets and Carlyle, in other words, were interested less in the means than in the ends of policies.
