He thought that both the oppressed and the oppressors were unfree under imperialism: the oppressed because foreign imperialist invaders subjected them to injustice the oppressors because they were pressured into acting unjustly for the sake of keeping up appearances. Orwell argued that poor people were not poor because of inferior moral character, but because of dysfunctional social and political systems that created unjust inequality. He claimed that upper- and middle-class people typically misunderstood why people lived in poverty and what living in poverty was like. Orwell’s early writing focused on the themes of poverty and imperialism. Orwell died of tuberculosis less than a year after 1984 was published. 1984, published in 1949, was an even bigger success. It was a commercial success in the United States and the United Kingdom. His writing often reflected his personal experiences, which included living among the poor in Paris and London, researching working conditions in Northern England, fighting as a volunteer soldier in the Spanish Civil War, and creating World War II propaganda for the British Broadcasting Company. During this time, Orwell became an anti-imperialist.Īfter resigning from the Imperial Police, Orwell returned to England to become a writer. After completing school, he worked for five years with the Imperial Police in Burma (now Myanmar). Orwell was born in colonial India, where his English father worked for the British Civil Service, and was raised in England as part of the middle class. George Orwell, author of “Animal Farm” and “1984.” 1. This essay discusses some of his philosophical views in political philosophy, epistemology, and philosophy of language. His philosophical insights are relevant to both pressing social issues and recent developments in philosophy. While not trained as a philosopher, Orwell’s writings include many philosophical claims.

He also wrote essays, novels, and non-fiction books. George Orwell (1903-1950) was an early twentieth-century writer best known as the author of Animal Farm and 1984.

Categories: Social and Political Philosophy, Epistemology, Ethics, Philosophy of Mind and Language

Orwell and politics