Robert Filmer
Sir Robert Filmer was a prominent English political theorist and writer, born into a large family in Kent. Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and trained in law, he was called to the bar in 1613. Filmer began his literary career in the 1630s and 1640s, engaging in intellectual exchanges with peers, and he continued writing even during an eighteen-month imprisonment in the early 1640s. His notable work, "Patriarcha," theorizes that patriarchy represents the fundamental model of governance, drawing on biblical texts to substantiate his claims regarding the paternal nature of political authority. Filmer's writings contributed significantly to the development of English conservative thought and reflect the evolving interpretation of political ideas across generations. He was knighted by King Charles I and married Anne Heton, with whom he had eight children. Filmer's legacy remains an essential part of discussions on political theory and authority.
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Robert Filmer
Political Theorist
- Born: c. 1586
- Birthplace: East Sutton, Kent, England
- Died: May 30, 1653
Biography
Sir Robert Filmer was the first of eighteen children born to Sir Edward Filmer of East Sutton in Kent and Elizabeth Argall Filmer. He attended Trinity College in Cambridge in 1604 and studied law at Lincoln’s Inn in 1605. He was called to the bar in 1613. Filmer began writing in the 1630’s and 1640’s, when he and a small group of friends exchanged their essays on many topics. During an imprisonment of eighteen months in the early 1640’s, Filmer continued to write; In Praise of the Vertuous Wife was one such work that was not published until 1987. He was released from prison sometime between the years of 1645 and 1647, and it was around this period of time that he started having his political works published. Filmer wrote Patriarcha, the book based on his theory that the patriarchy is the true original form and model of all government, at some point between the years 1635 and 1642.
Filmer married Anne Heton, daughter of Martin Heton (the former bishop of Ely), in 1618; the couple had eight children. Charles I knighted Filmer at the beginning of his reign in 1619. Filmer’s ideas sparked the development of English conservative thought. He used the Bible as evidence to back his ideas on the paternal nature of political authority. Filmer’s work is a great example of how text can take on new meaning when reintroduced to a different generation.