Literary notes about Factious (AI summary)
The word "factious" has historically been used in literature to characterize individuals or groups that foster division and conflict, particularly within a political or societal context. For instance, authors like John Locke [1] warned against "ill-affected and factious men" who might spread unrest when a ruler exercises his authority, while Charles Dickens [2] portrayed factious behavior as deliberately self-serving and divisive. Thomas Carlyle, in multiple passages [3, 4, 5], frequently linked the term with political strife and the damaging consequences of factionalism, underscoring its association with rebellion and internal discord. Similarly, Ben Jonson [6, 7] defined "factious" by its very connection to seditious and partisan behavior, and ancient historians such as Livy [8] and Plutarch [9] noted that such tendencies were often a natural, if dangerous, facet of public life. This literary usage consistently reflects a wariness of factional loyalties that challenge established order or unity within the state.
- This, perhaps, ill-affected and factious men may spread amongst the people, when the prince only makes use of his due prerogative.
— from Second Treatise of Government by John Locke - “Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse.
— from A Christmas Carol in Prose; Being a Ghost Story of Christmas by Charles Dickens - His despatches to Committee openly denounce a factious Convention, for the woes it has brought on France and him.
— from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle - Factious disturbance ceases not: as indeed how can they, unless authoritatively conjured, in a Revolt which is by nature bottomless?
— from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle - "I carry in my heart the death-dirge of the French Monarchy; the dead remains of it will now be the spoil of the factious."
— from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle - FACTIOUS, seditious, belonging to a party, given to party feeling.
— from The Alchemist by Ben Jonson - FACTIOUS, seditious, belonging to a party, given to party feeling.
— from Every Man in His Humor by Ben Jonson - They return to their tribunal, and on purpose commanded one of the most factious of the people, who stood in their view, to be called upon by name.
— from The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Livy - They abstained from all factious proceedings, and merely stated that they had been driven from the city by the wealthy classes.
— from Plutarch's Lives, Volume 1 (of 4) by Plutarch