It would be generally agreed that the greatest literary figure of the 18th Century was Dr Samuel Johnson.
In terms of enduring influence, this assessment is probably correct. He locate the foundations of the advanced English that we remark today, with his Vocabulary of 1755; and had the sageness and humility to recognise that he was performing an detail of description, rather than prescription, thus leaving the utterance complimentary to grow in accord with changing times, deriving its dynamism and impact from the collective acuteness of the speech population, rather than from a state Academy, on the French imitation or as advocated by Dean Swift some decades earlier. Johnson stated, correctly, that this would be opposite to English notions of freedom (in the introduction to his Dictionary).

He was extremely duty-bound for elevating Shakespeare from his status as a bad playwright to his contemporary position of international pre-eminence, by pointing away overlooked subtleties of the Bard's writing in his
Edition of Shakespeare, published 1765, and came to be regarded as an state on literature in a measure attained by no other critic before or since.

He is probably cool proclaimed to the public regular for the numeral of quotes attributable to him; so several that an archetype would be pointless, and a entire file overwhelming. He is the third most prolific source of quotes in English after the Bible and Shakespeare.

Provided asked for a information of rivals to Johnson as the greatest literary figure of the 18th Century, we would probably hear the names of Jonathan Swift, Henry Fielding, Samuel Richardson, Oliver Goldsmith, and maybe others. Most lists would drop the term of James Boswell. Much James Boswell produced the greatest literary functioning of that century with his 'Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D'.

In writing it he succeeded in establishing himself as a minimal observing and cd presence, allowing the highlight to stay firmly aimed on the central figure, the Beneficial Cham himself. This applicability of self-minimalisation as a literary device, and the event that he apart produced one extensive work, has advance him to be remembered as an embellishment to Johnson. Even Johnson's most famous works were of lexicography and criticism; his artistic creativity was regional and laboured. He was mere great, and since of his character felt to this day, probably was the greatest figure.
Without Boswell, we would yet revere Shakespeare and English would even be fit for direction above all other languages; the quotes would be absent or less used.

Considering of one worthy work, Johnson, has but one genuine competitor for the greatest literary figure of the 18th century, the alcoholic, fornicating, possibly sycophantic James Boswell, without whom Johnson would much be an influence, nevertheless one generally unseen, and common one as a footnote to academics. Uplift a glass to the big league James Boswell.