An Introduction to the Industrial and Social History of EnglandCheyney, Edward Potts
History
An Introduction to the Industrial and Social History of England
Cheyney, Edward Potts
Great Britain -- Economic conditions; Great Britain -- Maps; Industries -- Great Britain
Socialism thus understood, the process of limiting private action and
introducing public control, has gone very far, as has been seen in
this and the preceding chapter. How far it is destined to extend, to
what fields of industry collective action is to be applied, and which
fields are to be left to individual action can only be seen as time
goes on. Many further changes in the same direction have been
advocated in Parliament and other public bodies in recent years and
failed of being agreed to by very small majorities only. It seems
almost certain from the progress of opinion that further socialistic
measures will be adopted within the near future. The views of those
who approve this socialistic tendency and would extend it still
further are well indicated in the following expressions used in the
minority report of the Royal Commission on Labor of 1895. "The whole
force of democratic statesmanship must, in our opinion, henceforth be
directed to the substitution as fast as possible of public for
capitalist enterprise, and where the substitution is not yet
practicable, to the strict and detailed regulation of all industrial
operations so as to secure to every worker the conditions of efficient
citizenship."
There is a somewhat different use of the word socialism, according to
which it means the deliberate adoption of such an organization of
society as will rid it of competition altogether. This is a complete
social and philosophic ideal, involving the consistent reorganization
of all society, and is very different from the mere socialistic
tendency described above. In the early part of the century, Robert
Owen developed a philosophy which led him to labor for the
introduction of communities in which competition should be entirely
superseded by joint action. He had many adherents then, and others
since have held similar views. There has, indeed, been a series of
more or less short-lived attempts to found societies or communities on
this socialistic basis. Apart from these efforts, however, socialism
in this sense belongs to the history of thought or philosophic
speculation, not of actual economic and social development. Professed
socialists, represented by the Fabyan Society, the Socialist League,
the Social Democratic Federation, and other bodies, are engaged in the
spread of socialistic doctrines and the encouragement of all movements
of associative, anti-individualistic character rather than in efforts
to introduce immediate practical socialism.
*91. BIBLIOGRAPHY*
Webb, Sidney and Beatrice: _The History of Trade Unionism_. This
excellent history contains, as an Appendix, an extremely detailed
bibliography on its own subject and others closely allied to it.
Howell, George: _Conflicts of Labor and Capital_.
Rousiers, P. de: _The Labour Question in Britain_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account