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Concept

Alfred the Great

Alfred the Great
CNG - Classical Numismatic Group · CC BY-SA 2.5 · source

Overview

king of Wessex (r. 872–901)

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

Possible passages

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  1. The kingdom of Wessex, which finally swallowed up all the other Saxon states, met with great resistance on its first establishment; and the Britons, who were now inured to arms, yielded not tamely their possessions to those invaders. Cerdic, the founder of the monarchy, and his son Kenric, fought many successful, and some unsuccessful battles, against the natives; and the martial spirit, common to all the Saxons…

    David Hume, The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol. I., Part A.

    Close in meaning to Alfred the Great; the term itself is not named.

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  2. Though the kings of Wessex had always been princes of the blood, descended from Cerdic, the founder of the monarchy, the order of succession had been far from exact, and a more remote prince had often found means to mount the throne in preference to one descended from a nearer branch of the royal family. Ina, therefore, having no children of his own, and lying much under the influence of Ethelburga, his queen, left…

    David Hume, The History of England, Volume I

    Close in meaning to Alfred the Great; the term itself is not named.

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  3. When Alfred had once more reunited the kingdoms of his ancestors, he found the whole face of things in the most desperate condition; there was no observance of law and order; religion had no force; there was no honest industry; the most squalid poverty, and the grossest ignorance, had overspread the whole kingdom. Alfred at once enterprised the cure of all these evils. To remedy the disorders in the government, he…

    Edmund Burke, Selections from the Speeches and Writings of Edmund Burke

    Close in meaning to Alfred the Great; the term itself is not named.

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Philosophers who discussed Alfred the Great

Related ideas

Place in the tradition

Part of British philosophy.

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