I say our Political Challenges/Demise of our Constitution can be traced back to Henry VIII.
The idea that the ideological left, or its "tanginality" (a term I'm interpreting as its tendency to diverge or branch into new directions), began with King Henry VIII is an intriguing but not entirely straightforward proposition
. The ideological left, as we understand it today—broadly associated with egalitarianism, social reform, and challenging traditional hierarchies—has roots that long predate Henry VIII and are more clearly traced to later historical developments, like the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. However, let’s explore whether Henry VIII’s actions could be seen as a precursor or tangential influence, especially given his reign’s dramatic upheavals.
Henry VIII, ruling England from 1509 to 1547, is best known for breaking with the Catholic Church, establishing the Church of England, and consolidating royal power. His motivations were primarily personal (securing a divorce from Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn) and political (asserting control over the church and its wealth). These actions, particularly the English Reformation, had profound consequences that could be argued to align with certain "left-leaning" tendencies in a very loose sense, but they don’t mark the origin of the ideological left.
### Why Henry VIII Might Be Linked to "Left" Tanginality
1. **Challenge to Established Authority**: Henry’s break with Rome defied the Catholic Church, a dominant institution that upheld feudal and hierarchical structures. By rejecting papal authority and nationalizing church assets, he disrupted a key pillar of the medieval order. This could be seen as a tangential precursor to later leftist challenges to entrenched power, though Henry’s goal was to centralize authority in himself, not to democratize it.
2. **Secularization and Individual Agency**: The Reformation, catalyzed by Henry, emphasized state control over religion and, indirectly, promoted ideas of individual conscience over universal church doctrine. This shift laid groundwork for later secular and reformist movements that align with leftist ideologies, particularly those advocating personal freedoms or questioning religious dogma.
3. **Economic Redistribution (Sort Of)**: The dissolution of the monasteries (1536–1541) redistributed vast church wealth to the crown and nobility. While this wasn’t egalitarian—most benefits went to elites—it disrupted traditional economic structures and could be seen as a distant echo of later leftist calls for wealth redistribution, though Henry’s intent was self-enrichment, not social justice.
4. **Thomas Cromwell’s Role**: Henry’s chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, has been cast by some historians as a proto-liberal figure due to his administrative reforms and centralization of government, which weakened feudal fragmentation. A 2020 article argues Cromwell’s policies resemble modern liberalism’s emphasis on state-driven progress, though this is a retrospective interpretation.[](https://www.thesocialreview.co.uk/2020/04/24/thomas-cromwell-liberal/)
### Why Henry VIII Doesn’t Fit as the Origin
1. **No Egalitarian Intent**: The ideological left is typically tied to ideals of equality, social justice, or collective welfare. Henry’s actions were driven by personal and dynastic ambitions, not a vision for societal leveling. His consolidation of power reinforced monarchy, not challenged it.
2. **Historical Context of the Left**: The terms "left" and "right" originate from the French Revolution (1789), where seating arrangements in the National Assembly reflected ideological divides—radicals on the left, conservatives on the right. These concepts, rooted in Enlightenment ideas of liberty and equality, are far removed from Henry’s era, which lacked such frameworks.[](https://www.history.com/news/how-did-the-political-labels-left-wing-and-right-wing-originate)
3. **Feudal and Authoritarian Framework**: Henry operated within a feudal system, and his reforms strengthened royal absolutism. Leftist ideologies typically critique such hierarchies, not entrench them. His political ideology, as one source notes, focused on expanding his authority, not redistributing power to the masses.[](https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses/387/)
4. **Later Developments Are More Relevant**: The ideological left’s true roots lie in 17th- and 18th-century movements like the Levellers (who advocated democratic ideas during the English Civil War) and Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau or Paine. The French Revolution, industrial capitalism, and socialism further shaped the left, making Henry’s contributions tangential at best.
### Tanginality and Henry’s Legacy
If by "tanginality" you mean the left’s tendency to branch into new, radical directions, Henry’s reign could be seen as a catalyst for unintended consequences. The Reformation he initiated weakened centralized religious authority, setting the stage for later intellectual and political movements that questioned tradition. For example, the Protestant emphasis on individual interpretation of scripture influenced Puritanism, which in turn shaped revolutionary ideas in the English Civil War. But this is a long chain of causation, and Henry himself was no proto-leftist.
Alternatively, the "tanginality" could refer to how leftist ideologies evolve by breaking from orthodoxy, much as Henry broke from Rome. His pragmatic, power-driven schism might resonate with the left’s willingness to challenge established norms, but this analogy is more poetic than historical.
### Conclusion
The ideological left’s origins are more accurately traced to the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, not Henry VIII’s reign. While Henry’s break with Rome and centralization of power had ripple effects that indirectly contributed to later reformist ideas, calling him the starting point of the left’s "tanginality" stretches the concept beyond historical evidence. His actions were too rooted in personal ambition and monarchical power to align with leftist principles. If you’re looking for a specific connection or interpretation of "tanginality," could you clarify? I can dig deeper or pivot to a related angle.
