William Godwin and the Spanish Enlightenment

Abstract

This article aims at analyzing Godwin’s presence in Spain, first among the Spanish ilustrados, a privileged élite who had access to forbidden foreign authors, such as Godwin. The case of Jovellanos, one of the most relevant Spanish writers of the period, is particularly meaningful. In his constant search for new approaches to improve the circumstances of his country he obtained and carefully read Enquiry concerning Political Justice, which deeply impressed him, as can be observed in his personal writings. Secondly, the translation into Spanish of part of Godwin’s The Enquirer in a miscellaneous journal is examined. The relevance of this text lies in its contribution to the ongoing debate on one of the hot issues of the moment: the necessary improvement of education in order to develop and modernize Spanish society.