What do you think?
Rate this book
The Making of British Socialism
A compelling look at the origins of British socialism
The Making of British Socialism provides a new interpretation of the emergence of British socialism in the late nineteenth century, demonstrating that it was not a working-class movement demanding state action, but a creative campaign of political hope promoting social justice, personal transformation, and radical democracy. Mark Bevir shows that British socialists responded to the dilemmas of economics and faith against a background of diverse traditions, melding new economic theories opposed to capitalism with new theologies which argued that people were bound in divine fellowship.
Bevir utilizes an impressive range of sources to illuminate a number of historical Why did the British Marxists follow a Tory aristocrat who dressed in a frock coat and top hat? Did the Fabians develop a new economic theory? What was the role of Christian theology and idealist philosophy in shaping socialist ideas? He explores debates about capitalism, revolution, the simple life, sexual relations, and utopian communities. He gives detailed accounts of the Marxists, Fabians, and ethical socialists, including famous authors such as William Morris and George Bernard Shaw. And he locates these socialists among a wide cast of colorful characters, including Karl Marx, Henry Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, and Oscar Wilde.
By showing how socialism combined established traditions and new ideas in order to respond to the changing world of the late nineteenth century, The Making of British Socialism turns aside long-held assumptions about the origins of a major movement.
The Making of British Socialism provides a new interpretation of the emergence of British socialism in the late nineteenth century, demonstrating that it was not a working-class movement demanding state action, but a creative campaign of political hope promoting social justice, personal transformation, and radical democracy. Mark Bevir shows that British socialists responded to the dilemmas of economics and faith against a background of diverse traditions, melding new economic theories opposed to capitalism with new theologies which argued that people were bound in divine fellowship.
Bevir utilizes an impressive range of sources to illuminate a number of historical Why did the British Marxists follow a Tory aristocrat who dressed in a frock coat and top hat? Did the Fabians develop a new economic theory? What was the role of Christian theology and idealist philosophy in shaping socialist ideas? He explores debates about capitalism, revolution, the simple life, sexual relations, and utopian communities. He gives detailed accounts of the Marxists, Fabians, and ethical socialists, including famous authors such as William Morris and George Bernard Shaw. And he locates these socialists among a wide cast of colorful characters, including Karl Marx, Henry Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, and Oscar Wilde.
By showing how socialism combined established traditions and new ideas in order to respond to the changing world of the late nineteenth century, The Making of British Socialism turns aside long-held assumptions about the origins of a major movement.
- GenresHistoryPhilosophy
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
5 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Mark Bevir
58 books5 followersProfessor Mark Bevir is a member of the Department of Political Science at University of California, Berkeley. He was born in London and educated at the University of Exeter, U.K., where he got a BA (1st Class), and the University of Oxford, UK where he was awarded a DPhil. Before moving to Berkeley, he worked at the University of Madras, India, and University of Newcastle, UK. He has held visiting positions in Australia, Finland, France, U.K., and the U.S. Currently he is co-convener of the Interpretive Political Science specialist group of the Political Studies Association and President of the Society for the Philosophy of History.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 22, 2012
This is an interesting book and clearly an impressive work of scholarship with a few caveats about its intended audience. Most or all of the chapters are revised versions of articles Bevir has had in academic journals so that is the tone and the audience. It is an “history of ideas” rather than a history of day to day activity so there’s a big philosophical, sociological etc component. There is also a lot of assumed knowledge so if you can’t already give a Twitter-length definition of “ethical positivism” (actually, can someone? I still don’t know what it is really ...) you will need to have Wikipedia handy. A basic knowledge of classical political economy (Smith, Ricardo, Mill, Marx) will also help. It is not therefore a beginners guide to 19th C radicalism and socialism but its not a difficult read and he repeats himself in slightly different ways enough that if you don't get it the first time, you may the second or third (this is a good thing, not a criticism.) There are a lot of interesting parts, particularly highlighting the dizzying variety and diversity of socialisms (and some unexpected - to me - intellectual influences) of the time, which has been lost a bit under the shadow of 20th C Marxisms. Highly recommended as long as its intent matches your purpose.
July 17, 2024
Solid academica here. It's a collection of essays in intellectual history, rather than a unified text, but once you're ready to swallow that, you'll enjoy yourself, and learn a lot--but again, the essays are journal articles, so don't expect much hand-holding.
Read
August 14, 2011I read the proofs of this book for my PhD adviser. Very useful for those interested in the history of socialist politics.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews