Samuel Johnson, which is one of the British greatest writers of the 18th Century, was the creator of the most modern and influential dictionary in its kind during the history of the English language. Johnson not only established standard grammar, pronunciation, and spelling at that time, but also provided the meaning of the words through quotations of the main exponents of British literature such as Shakespeare and Milton. As a thinker, his necessity for taking control can be observed in his work by giving significance to words using his own knowledge. However, his own perceptions of life are not based on any scientific experiment or research, which contradict his position as writer of the Age of Reason. Hence, on this basis it may be inferred that Johnson used subjectivity, humor, and prejudices in many of his definitions to focus his work on a critique of the hegemonic group, examining inequalities, abuse of power, and preferences. First of all, it may be recognized the fact that Johnson did not agree with the differences between social classes, so he expressed it through a humorous way in the word “dedication: a servile address to a patron”. He portrayed the miserable and depressing life that a servant experiences under the power of her/his master because s/he is not able to be autonomous and acts freely. Moreover, Johnson stated the dominance that England had over other nations because of the Industrial revolution: “oats: a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people". He criticized the insensible behavior of the British people and supremacy of his country because they do not care about others and waste what could be precious in a different social and economic context. Nevertheless, Johnson also ironically expressed his nonconformity with the dominant system through the meaning of “excise” by emphasizing the payment of some taxes due people’s commodities without taking into account that it was because of the amount of wealth that he had. This statement is not only contradicting his previous point of view about the gap between classes, but also showing his individualism and in some way his self-interest. In addition, he exemplified his egocentricity by examining his own occupation “lexicographer: A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge that busies himself in tracing the original and detailing the signification of words”. He magnified his business as a superior one compared to others that he did not like them at all (stockjobber). Therefore, Johnson depicts in his work a lack of objectivity, which is interesting to point out because he not only evaluated his nation and powerful system, but also his own views about himself.
Samuel Johnson, which is one of the British greatest writers of the 18th Century, was the creator of the most modern and influential dictionary in its kind during the history of the English language. Johnson not only established standard grammar, pronunciation, and spelling at that time, but also provided the meaning of the words through quotations of the main exponents of British literature such as Shakespeare and Milton. As a thinker, his necessity for taking control can be observed in his work by giving significance to words using his own knowledge. However, his own perceptions of life are not based on any scientific experiment or research, which contradict his position as writer of the Age of Reason. Hence, on this basis it may be inferred that Johnson used subjectivity, humor, and prejudices in many of his definitions to focus his work on a critique of the hegemonic group, examining inequalities, abuse of power, and preferences. First of all, it may be recognized the fact that Johnson did not agree with the differences between social classes, so he expressed it through a humorous way in the word “dedication: a servile address to a patron”. He portrayed the miserable and depressing life that a servant experiences under the power of her/his master because s/he is not able to be autonomous and acts freely. Moreover, Johnson stated the dominance that England had over other nations because of the Industrial revolution: “oats: a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people". He criticized the insensible behavior of the British people and supremacy of his country because they do not care about others and waste what could be precious in a different social and economic context. Nevertheless, Johnson also ironically expressed his nonconformity with the dominant system through the meaning of “excise” by emphasizing the payment of some taxes due people’s commodities without taking into account that it was because of the amount of wealth that he had. This statement is not only contradicting his previous point of view about the gap between classes, but also showing his individualism and in some way his self-interest. In addition, he exemplified his egocentricity by examining his own occupation “lexicographer: A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge that busies himself in tracing the original and detailing the signification of words”. He magnified his business as a superior one compared to others that he did not like them at all (stockjobber). Therefore, Johnson depicts in his work a lack of objectivity, which is interesting to point out because he not only evaluated his nation and powerful system, but also his own views about himself.
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