Essay upon Ancient and Modern Learning

The "Ancients and Moderns" was a literary dispute in 17th-century France and England. Proponents of the "Ancients" believed that the literature of ancient Greece and Rome represented the pinnacle of literary achievement and should serve as the sole models for excellence. Conversely, the "Moderns" challenged this view, arguing that contemporary writers could surpass classical authors.

Sir William Temple, in his essay Upon Ancient and Modern Learning, supported the Ancients, rejecting the idea of progress in the arts and championing ancient scholarship. This stance was met with responses from figures like William Wotton, who argued for the progress of Moderns in many fields while conceding the Ancients' superiority in arts like poetry. The debate explored whether literature, unlike science, progressed linearly and eventually fueled satire by Jonathan Swift.12