“New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without another reason but because they are not already common” has said John Locke. He is one of the many great writers of Restoration period. This course report is on the changes in the way of thinking of the society of Restoration period and 18th century (1660-1785) in difference from the previous epochs, more briefly - on the spirit of non-conformism in Restoration literature. This reflects the changes in the world perception of the society, the possible reasons for it and examples from literary works of that period.
The paper observes the changes of opinion in several aspects. The ideas are intensified with examples from Restoration literature. The course project consists of several parts: the first one is general overview on the history and the general characteristics of Restoration literature and the second part of the paper is devoted to analysis of non-conformism ideas in particular literary works. …
