Conclusion
This concluding chapter briefly tracts the vicissitudes of Blackstone's posthumous reputation, before considering some broader implications of the account of his life and work presented above. Far from being an arch-reactionary, Blackstone was in many respects a radical reformer, as well as a leading figure in the British manifestation of the 18th-century Enlightenment. His orthodox Anglicanism did not put him at odds with proponents of rational improvement, although it distinguished him from a more sceptical minority. Not an outstandingly original thinker, Blackstone was a great academic innovator and reformer, as well as a notable scholar. He was also a more accomplished and experienced lawyer than is generally supposed. A meritocrat, and not lacking in personal ambition, he nevertheless devoted most of his abundant energies to larger causes than mere self-aggrandisement.
Keywords: historiography, interpretations, Enlightenment, improvement, reform
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .