Work

Successes and Failures of Benjamin Disraeli’s Rhetoric and Heresthetics: Corn Laws, Franchise, and Empire

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: It is not news that Benjamin Disraeli was a reckless and shape-shifting politician. This chapter claims that he was one of those rare shape-shifters who practised what has been called ‘heresthetics’, namely the art and science of turning a losing position to a winning one. His manoeuvres in 1846 (Corn Laws), 1867‒68 (Reform) and 1876 (Royal Title Bill) show him at his heresthetic finest. Although it took him 30 years, he both destroyed and rebuilt the Conservative Party.

Source: Cahiers victoriens et édouardiens

DOI: 10.4000/13qsy

Author: Iain McLean

Institution: University of Oxford

Language: English

Topic: Political and Economic history of UK and US

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W4409389694

FWCI:

Cites: 26

Cited by:

Related to: 10