We all have authors we love for their amazing stories and genius use of words. Some authors are gifted with the ability to convey important messages and political themes, but they don't always adhere to a moral code. Here are 10 famous authors who were hypocritical.
Related: Top 10 Dark Inspirations for Great American Writers
Ten Christopher Hitchens was pro-life
Christopher Hitchens was one of the most famous authors of his time on religion and atheism. As the father of the New Atheism, he wrote: Hitch 22, moral, Why Orwell Mattersand Portable AtheistHe was a fairly radical atheist and often criticized religion in very controversial ways, so one would assume he was pro-abortion, but in fact he was against abortion for a number of reasons.
In 1988, Hitchens once crisis He has written for magazines on a variety of topics, including abortion, and one of his comments was this: “I have had and still have had misgivings about the possibility of disposing of the fetus. To accept that the inhabitants of the uterus are even capable of life runs counter to such frivolous phrases as 'a woman's right to choose.'”
Hitchens appears to have had firm reservations about whether women should have the right to abortion, which is in stark contradiction to the standard atheist position that pro-life is the exclusive domain of religious people, which is arguably quite surprising given that Hitchens has attacked religion throughout his life.[1]
9 J.R.R. Tolkien supported ruthless dictators
We all know and love JRR Tolkien, the man behind some of the most enduring fantasy stories of all time. Lord of the RingThese books created an entire subculture and video game industry and changed role-playing games forever, plus Peter Jackson's films are some of the best ever. Lord of the Ring Tolkien's novels are about overcoming prejudice and coming together as one people to face great evil, so it may come as a surprise that he was a bit of a supporter of Francisco Franco, the ruthless dictator who created the Francoist period in Spanish history.
In Letter 83, published in this book, The letters of J.R.R. TolkienTolkien spoke of the poet, musician and Franco in a letter to his son, Christopher Tolkien. Tolkien expressed his respect for the dictator, who fought against Red propaganda against the Catholic Church. The Spanish Civil War was fought between the left-wing Republicans, led by Franco, and the right-wing Nationalists. The Republicans were a conglomeration of socialists, communists, anarchists and other left-wing ideological groups.
This support does not make Tolkien a fascist, but it is still odd that someone who supported peace and racial tolerance would suddenly support a person and movement that opposed both. Tolkien, like many others, was a man of his time.[2]
8 George Orwell criticized the government and censorship, but betrayed his fellow writers
George Orwell is one of the most famous political writers in history. He wrote some of the most influential books. 1984 and Animal FarmOrwell was a fierce attacker of authoritarianism and provided many words to help us understand the real-world tools of oppression. Unfortunately, Orwell didn't always practice what he preached.
In 1949, Orwell wrote what would become known as “Orwell's List,” a list of people he suspected of being secret communists or sympathizers of Stalin. The list included 38 people in total, including some of Orwell's friends. The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office eventually made the list public in 1996, but some Orwell fans were disappointed that their idol seemed hypocritical.[3]
7 Ayn Rand embraced Social Security
Ayn Rand is one of the most notorious philosophers in history. Her signature work is Objectivism, which believes in ultimate individual freedom through a laissez-faire free market without government oversight. She also wrote books such as: Atlas Shrug and Fountainheadexplains her philosophy in more detail: Rand disliked government programs like Social Security and welfare, but ended up using them in her later years.
The common interpretation is that Rand felt entitled to the fruits of her labor because she had paid into the system her whole life. But this ignores the fact that welfare is paid for by all taxpayers, which means she was still taking away the fruits of others' labor, which is in direct contradiction to Objectivism. Rand is infamous for many reasons, but this blatant hypocrisy may be one of the most ludicrous.[4]
6 Henry David Thoreau lived a complex life but preached simplicity
Born on July 12, 1817, Henry David Thoreau wrote some of the most influential and insightful essays and poems on ecology, natural history, and political philosophy. Nearly every American has studied him at some point in their lives, either in high school or college. His most influential works are WaldenThe book advocates simple living and coexistence with nature rather than the complex, industrialized lifestyles that many of Thoreau's contemporaries fell into.
However, Thoreau himself lived a life that was the exact opposite of that. First, he indulged in narcissism, Walden Thoreau's experimentation with virtue was more of a romantic view of nature and the self than a model for practicing his beliefs. Thoreau was also dependent on others, receiving food and financial support from friends and family. He also continued to participate in civilized society and take advantage of its many conveniences, despite his intense contempt for it. In the end, he was a man of his time and social standing.[5]
Five John Locke advocated for individual liberty but supported slavery
John Locke is one of the most influential philosophers in history and can be considered the founder of liberalism. As a thinker of the Enlightenment, Locke explored the great questions and social issues of his time, including education, epistemology, and politics. His best-known works include: Two Political Theories (1690), a book on natural rights and government by consent, which rejected the divine right of kings; Some Thoughts on Education (1693) expresses Locke's views on educational reform, but despite being an influential figure among liberals and antislavery activists, Locke himself supported slavery.
Locke held stocks and investments in various pro-slavery organizations, including the Carolina Proprietors' Association and the Royal African Company. He also argued that it was morally right to enslave prisoners of war, something that unfortunately applied directly to the transatlantic slave trade. Like Thoreau, Locke was a man of his time, and support for slavery was by no means uncommon at the time. Yet Locke is different in that he is often held up as a defender of human rights.[6]
Four Jean-Jacques Rousseau advocated good parenting but abandoned his children
The Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a leading figure in the Enlightenment and one of the most influential philosophers to come out of the movement, perhaps best known for his political treatises. Social ContractHe argues for a universal social contract in which all members of society agree to harm reduction and coexistence. His other works include: Emile, or Education (1762) is a thorough analysis of the education system, its flaws, and how it can be improved to make children's lives better. Despite caring very much about the welfare of children, Rousseau himself was not very kind to them.
Rousseau had five children with Thérèse Levasseur, whom he met in 1745. However, neither Rousseau nor Levasseur raised the children, and they were sent to an orphanage soon after birth. The children were neglected and never had good lives. This parental cruelty highlighted the contradictions between Rousseau's personal and philosophical lives so sharply that his rival Voltaire criticized it in a letter to Rousseau in 1755.[7]
3 Beloved children's author Enid Blyton was an abusive mother
Enid Blyton, who has sold as many books as J.K. Rowling, is one of the most famous and successful children's authors in history. She wrote classic series such as: Five Great Detectives, Noddy, Adventure Seriesand Secret Sevenall stories about children going on adventures or solving cases. Although Blyton's books are famous, they are not without criticism. Some have pointed out that, like many stories of the time, some of Blyton's stories have outdated racial and gender aspects. That said, ironically Blyton herself was a pretty terrible mother.
Blyton and her husband, Major Hugh Alexander Pollock, had two daughters, Gillian and Imogen, who wrote an autobiography after she was out of childhood. Childhood in the Green HedgesIn “The Book of Idiots,” Enid wrote at length about the abuse and neglect her mother had shown her children. Enid was so absorbed in writing that she rarely cared for her children, leaving them mainly to nannies. Her mother was also often cruel, scolding her children for seemingly innocuous things. It seems the old saying was true: “Never meet your idols.”[8]
2 Virginia Woolf was a feminist and an anti-Semite
Virginia Woolf needs no introduction, but here goes. Woolf is one of the few authors whose tragic suicide is perhaps as well known as her writings. She wrote such classics as: Mrs Dalloway, To the lighthouse, wave, Orlandoand Your own roomWoolf's work explores female independence and feminism, as well as the issues of depression and mental health which she struggled with throughout her life. Her lucid, dreamy, stream-of-consciousness style has left a tremendous impact on the literary world, alongside T.S. Eliot and James Joyce, and she is widely celebrated in feminist studies.
Unfortunately, this did not prevent her from harboring prejudice against Jews. She often made anti-Semitic remarks about her Jewish husband, Leonard Woolf, including commenting on his “Jewish laugh.” She once wrote to Ethel Smith that her Jewish friends “seemed to me like a kind of worm, like an ugly, filthy Jew.” Horrible stuff. You'd think that having a Jewish husband would curb some of this anti-Semitism, but apparently not.[9]
1 Flannery O'Connor was an anti-racist who made racist comments.
Flannery O'Connor was a monumental figure in Southern Gothic literature, which focused on grotesque and violent themes and was set primarily in the South. Her works include: A good man is hard to find, Violence takes it awayand Wise BloodSome of her works dealt with racism in the South, especially against blacks. Flannery was critical of the way white Southerners treated non-whites. Unfortunately, O'Connor was also a product of her time and made some pretty racist comments.
O'Connor often used the N-word in racist jokes in her letters to friends. Though she supported integration on paper, she once described herself as a “segregationist by taste.” O'Connor also said that black people were happier living under Jim Crow laws. Ultimately, she was a complex person with extreme views about non-whites. Like many writers of the era, she believed things that would become outdated a few years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[10]
