Uncivil Mirth: Ridicule in Enlightenment Britain

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How the philosophers and polemicists of eighteenth-century Britain used ridicule in the service of religious toleration, abolition, and political justice The relaxing of censorship in Britain at the turn of the eighteenth century led to an explosion of satires, caricatures, and comic hoaxes. This new vogue for ridicule unleashed moral panic and

Reviews

"Winner of the Morris D. Forkosch Book Prize, Journal for the History of Ideas"
"For those curious to know the role of ridicule in eighteenth-century Britain, Ross Carrolls Uncivil Mirth is the place to start. In it, readers will find a reliable survey of the main lines of argument about ridicules function in enlightened public debate."---Mark G. Spencer, LSE Review of Books
"Witty and insightful. . . . this study could hardly be more timely."---Jan Machielsen, Times Literary Supplement
"A most valuable study, which must be engaged with in all future studies of the Enlightenment."---Dr. Cliff Cunningham, Sun News Austin

Author Bio

Ross Carroll is senior lecturer in political theory and a member of the Centre for Political Thought at the University of Exeter. Twitter @rossecarroll