Guild Socialism Restated

by G.D.H. Cole

First published in 1920, Guild Socialism Restated is G. D. H. Cole's fullest and most systematic ac-count of his vision of industrial and political reorganization. An Oxford University political theorist and an influential figure on the British Left between the two world wars, Cole was the best-known advocate of Guild Social-ism―a form of socialist thought that sought to transfer control of industry to professional "guilds" or self-governing associations of producers. The introductory chapters of Guild Socialism Restated develop the theme of democratic citizen-ship in relation to industrial so-ciety. Cole contends that neither capitalism nor state socialism can adequately meet the fundamental requirements of democracy be-cause neither provides institutions through which active citizenship can be achieved. He insists that the latter can be realized only in the realm of industrial relations. In so doing, Cole anticipates such contemporary themes as workers' self-management and participatory democracy, and he envisions also the corporatist mode of or-ganization that some would see as a defining quality of postindustrial societies. The central chapters of the book develop a view of socialist organi-zation in which citizenship is a vital ingredient in every arena― from that of the workplace to na-tional policymaking. Guild So-cialism Restated is also notable for its effort to come to terms with nonindustrial interests, and to provide representations for indi-viduals as consumers and citi-zens―not only as producers. Cole's book concludes with an assessment of the transition to so-cialism. He proposes that there is a "third way" in addition to politi-cal reform and civil war―one that will be both revolutionary and gradual. Cole writes that "he who wishes revolution to succeed should hasten towards it slowly."

Genres: Politics, Economics, Nonfiction

158 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 1980

About the author

George Douglas Howard Cole was an English political theorist, economist, writer and historian. As a libertarian socialist he was a long-time member of the Fabian Society and an advocate for the cooperative movement. He and his wife Margaret Cole (1893-1980) together wrote many popular detective stories, featuring the investigators Superintendent Wilson, Everard Blatchington and Dr Tancred.

Cole was educated at St Paul's School and Balliol College, Oxford.

As a conscientious objector during World War One, Cole's involvement in the campaign against conscription introduced him to a co-worker, Margaret Postgate, whom he married in 1918. The couple both worked for the Fabian Society for the next six years before moving to Oxford, where Cole started writing for the Manchester Guardian. During these years, he also authored several economic and historical works including biographies of William Cobbett and Robert Owen. In 1925, he became reader in economics at University College, Oxford. In 1944, Cole became the first Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory at Oxford. He was succeeded in the chair by Isaiah Berlin in 1957.

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. This is what true democratic socialism looks like, not the social democracy giant centralized welfare State bullshit that the left in America believe in. This is what Proudhon was talking about in his book property is theft where he said that the only tolerable State is a Minimalist democratic socialist one. Cole even credits anarcho-syndicalism as a strong influence on his guild socialism. The difference between syndicalism and guildism is that the former believes in a One big union divided into fractions representing each industry whereas Cole's idea is far superior in keeping the industries separate in medieval style trade guilds. The only beef I have with his structure of the guilds is that they are centralized, he needs a decentralized federalist structure along with decentralized federalism as the basis of government like the anarchists want (as Proudhon's book "the principle of federalism" outlines). Both Cole and anarchists completely agree on having industrial democracy as the basis of labor where the workers own and operate the means of production. Overall, in essence, guild socialism is a sibling ideology to libertarian socialism and particularly with individualist anarchism who value worker cooperatives and market socialism over collectives or pure anarcho-communism like Kropotkin wanted.

I would love to see Proudhon's federalism mixed with Thomas Jefferson's ward republicanism as the political order and a decentralized version of Cole's idea of guilds as the structure of Labor.

[Munta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good criticisms of State socialism and Syndicalism but what it proposes as a solution is also pretty problematic. It essentially defends a centralized system of guilds as a decentralized socialism... yeah i don't find it amusing.

[Logan Bertram · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eclectic and very British read, Cole's Guild Socialism offers an uncommon approach to collectivization.

Cole's work is especially applicable to socialist entrepreneurs looking to extend their principles in a capitalist economy through the application of co-ops and worker ownership as a mechanism for collectivizing the existing economy, an often overlooked, but subtle and effective act of economic revolution.