Carlyle's "Signs of the Times"

    Carlyle's "Signs of the Times" cleverly presents the reader with a criticism of the social changes that are occurring during his time. He addresses the falling away from religion, and "Mechanism" is what  takes it's place. Carlyle's fear is that the "Machine" is taking humanity away from the souls of men. "The Age of Machinery" is not just a physical replacement of men by machines, but is a spiritual replacement. Carlyle claims that men are losing their faith in place of the "Machine", "Not the external and physical alone is now managed by machinery, but the internal and spiritual also". What we see is a fear for the soul of man at a time when Capitalism and Industrialism was gaining strength. Even the Church is forced to mechanize in order to remain relevant in a booming society. No longer is the individual important, he must side with a group in order to be heard, become part of something larger than himself. Man no longer has a voice of his own, and as a result he his swallowed and then lost by society.
    The loss of faith in religion feeds the "Machine" that Carlyle is warning about, "This is not a Religious age. Only the material, the immediately practical, not the divine and spiritual, is important to us".  Religion has lost it's grip on the souls of men, leaving them empty and in search of something to fill the void. What we see is an attempt to fill the emptiness with the material, which brings us back to Capitalism. Men seek material objects, which fuels production and furthers Industrialization. Man is inadvertently creating their own demise, they are discarding their own value and individuality.This endless cycle creates the "Machine" that Carlyle is criticizing.
     What I find towards the end of Carlyle's "Signs of Times" however, is that there seems to be hope for mankind yet, "The time is sick and out of joint. Many things have reached their height; and it is a wise adage that ells us, 'the darkest hour is nearest the dawn'".  Even Carlyle can understand that things are ever changing, and even "The Age of the Machine" will come to an end. I like that Carlyle ends his article with a call for change. He is not just trying to criticize, or inspire fear about the souls of mankind, but challenges his readers to take a stand against the "Machine". It is a reminder that a machine cannot work without all of it's parts.