Table-Talk · Question
How does Table-Talk develop the theme of Institutional Corruption and Esprit de Corps?
Answer
Table-Talk by William Hazlitt develops Institutional Corruption and Esprit de Corps across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The book attacks corporate bodies and institutions (like universities, clubs, and public societies) for deadening individual conscience, fostering hypocrisy, and prioritizing rigid tradition and self-interest over truth, justice, and common sense.
The chapter highlights how political and party loyalties corrupt literary criticism, turning it into a tool for proscription and personal attack.
Central theme: Hazlitt dissects how corporate bodies prioritize collective self-interest over morality, leading to corruption, insularity, and hostility to outsiders.
Evidence in the book
- On Criticism
The chapter highlights how political and party loyalties corrupt literary criticism, turning it into a tool for proscription and personal attack.
- On Corporate Bodies
Central theme: Hazlitt dissects how corporate bodies prioritize collective self-interest over morality, leading to corruption, insularity, and hostility to outsiders.
