The Crowded Text: E. P. Thompson, Adam Smith, and the Object of Eighteenth-century Writing (original) (raw)

The paper explores the interplay between the concepts of popular dissent and the production of written texts in the eighteenth century, particularly through the lens of E. P. Thompson and Adam Smith. It critiques the prevailing cultural studies framework that prioritizes 'theory' over documented historical agency, positioning writing as a fundamental medium through which popular sentiment is expressed and organized. The author argues that the destruction of personal libraries is emblematic of the broader epistemological struggles faced by those seeking to navigate the chaotic tensions between mob action and orderly discourse in this historical period.