부럽다, 스마일즈, 영국 1800년대
우리는 정조 치하를 마무리하고 1800년대 넘어오면서
세도정치가 시작되었다
그리고 천주교 박해가 본격화되었고
어쩜 정권 유지를 위해, '치졸'하게 이어간 것 같은 느낌인데
그때 영국은 의회민주주의를 열심히 실천하고 있었고
사무엘 스마일즈는 그걸 넘어서, 개인들의 인격개조,
그 유명한 "자조론Self-Help"을 얘기하면서 미국의 벤저민 프랭클린 역할을 하면서 분위기, 사회전반적인, 돋우던 시절,
우리는 왜 이렇게 내부로 치중하면서 세계사 전진에서 소외되었던지
참 아쉽다. 영정조 시절의 꽤나 평안했던 시절이 어찌 지나갔는지
Early life and education[edit]
Born in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland, Smiles was the son of Janet Wilson of Dalkeith and Samuel Smiles of Haddington. He was one of eleven surviving children. While his family members were strict Reformed Presbyterians, he did not practice. He studied at a local school, leaving at the age of 14. He apprenticed to be a doctor under Dr. Robert Lewins.[1] This arrangement enabled Smiles to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1829.[2] There he furthered his interest in politics, and became a strong supporter of Joseph Hume. During this time, Samuel junior contracted a lung disease, and his father was advised to send him on a long sea voyage.
His father died in the cholera epidemic of 1832, but Smiles was enabled to continue with his studies because he was supported by his mother. She ran the small family general store firm in the belief that the "Lord will provide". Her example of working ceaselessly to support herself and his nine younger siblings strongly influenced Smiles's future life, but he developed a benign and tolerant outlook that was sometimes at odds with that of his Cameronian forebears.
Career as a campaigner[edit]
In 1837, he wrote articles for the Edinburgh Weekly Chronicle and the Leeds Times, campaigning for parliamentary reform.[1] In November 1838, Smiles was invited to become the editor of the Leeds Times, a position he accepted and filled until 1842.[2] In May 1840, Smiles became secretary to the Leeds Parliamentary Reform Association, an organisation that held to the six objectives of Chartism: universal suffrage for all men over the age of 21; equal-sized electoral districts; voting by secret ballot; an end to the need of MPs to qualify for Parliament, other than by winning an election; pay for MPs; and annual Parliaments.
As editor of the Leeds Times, he advocated radical causes ranging from women's suffrage to free trade and parliamentary reform. By the late 1840s, however, Smiles became concerned about the advocation of physical force by Chartists Feargus O'Connor and George Julian Harney, although he seems to have agreed with them that the movement's current tactics were not effective, saying that "mere political reform will not cure the manifold evils which now afflict society".
On 7 December 1843, Samuel married Sarah Ann Holmes Dixon in Leeds. They had three daughters and two sons.
In 1845, he left the Leeds Times and became a secretary for the newly formed Leeds & Thirsk Railway. After nine years, he worked for the South Eastern Railway.
In the 1850s, Smiles abandoned his interest in parliament and decided that self-help was the most important place of reform. In 1859, he published his book Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct.
Smiles wrote articles for the Quarterly. In an article on railways, he argued that the railways should be nationalised and that third-class passengers should be encouraged.[3] In 1861 Smiles published an article from the Quarterly, renamed Workers Earnings, Savings, and Strikes. He claimed poverty in many instances was caused by habitual improvidence: