Past and Present

<p><em>Past and Present</em> contrasts the spiritual vitality of medieval monastic life with the discontent and moral decay Carlyle perceived in 19th-century industrial society. Through a historical comparison anchored in the life of Abbot Samson of St. Edmundsbury the book critiques capitalism mechanization and the neglect of the working class. Part history part moral treatise it calls for leadership rooted in duty sincerity and social justice to address the spiritual crisis of modernity.</p><p>Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) was a Scottish satirical writer essayist historian and teacher during the Victorian era. He called economics the dismal science wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia and became a controversial social commentator. Past and Present combines medieval history with criticism of 19th-century British society.</p>