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This book uncovers the philosophical foundations of a tradition of ethical socialism best represented in the work of R.H. Tawney, tracing its roots back to the work of T.H. Green. Green and his colleagues developed a philosophy that rejected the atomistic individualism and empiricist assumptions that underpinned classical liberalism and helped to found a new political ideology based around four notions: the common good; a positive view of freedom; equality of opportunity; and an expanded role for the state. The book shows how Tawney adopted the key features of the idealists' philosophical settlement and used them to help shape his own notions of true freedom and equality, thereby establishing a tradition of thought which remains relevant in British politics today.

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Philosophie et théologie

Philosophy

Ideology

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Publié par	Andrews UK
Date de parution	16 novembre 2016
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781845406714
Langue	English

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T.H. GREEN AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ETHICAL SOCIALISM
Matt Carter

First published in 2003 by
Imprint Academic, PO Box 200, Exeter EX5 5YX, UK
www.imprint-academic.com
Digital edition converted and distributed by
Andrews UK Limited
www.andrewsuk.com
© Copyright 2016 Matt Carter
The right of Matt Carter to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998.
The moral rights of the authors have been asserted. No part of any contribution may be reproduced in any form without permission, except for the quotation of brief passages in criticism and discussion.
The views and opinions expressed herein belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Imprint Academic or Andrews UK Limited.

Preface
This book is a corrected version of my doctoral thesis (University of York, 1999). It offers a revised understanding of the political thought of the British idealists. Instead of seeing them as ambiguous supporters of state action, or confused Liberals caught between the shift from individualism to collectivism, I show how their work is better understood as a leading element in the formation of a new doctrine of ethical socialism, which became influential on socialists within the Labour Party.
The key objectives of the book are, first, to identify the nature of idealist philosophy and political thought, and why it was predisposed to assisting the growth of a new form of socialism; secondly, to demonstrate that Green and his followers adopted a consistent approach to questions of political philosophy, particularly the question of state action; thirdly, to show how idealism impacted on Christian socialism; fourthly, to show how idealists developed a tradition of ethical socialism, and how this affected their approach to Liberalism and to party politics; and, finally, to make clear the connection between the idealists and ethical socialists such as R.H. Tawney .
This book adds significantly to the literature of the area, by offering a clearer analysis of the political thought of the British idealists and its true impact. It also helps to identify the philosophical foundations of progressive socialism in Britain, a tradition which is often referred to but whose roots have not been explored in depth. This book shows that there is a direct connection between the ethical socialism of figures like Tawney in the Labour Party and the philosophical work of the British idealists such as T.H. Green. It is undoubtedly the case that these ideas have also been influential in Labour circles other than Tawney.’’s and this work, particularly the Conclusion, points the way for further study in this area.

Acknowledgements
This work was originally conceived whilst I sat as an undergraduate in the classes of Professor David Marquand and Dr. Bob Stern at Sheffield University. Professor Marquand taught me about the progressive tradition of thought within British socialism. Dr Stern’s lectures were on the philosophy of Hegel. It appeared to me then that there was a connection between the two and I am indebted to their teachings for this.
The synthesis of these two courses was found at the University of York, during my studies for an MA in Political Philosophy. Peter Nicholson was persuaded by a colleague and myself to run a course on ‘The British Idealists’. Whilst perhaps leaving me with more questions than answers, this course provided the link between my two undergraduate studies. I am fortunate that Peter Nicholson went on to become my supervisor for my doctoral study. For his thorough analysis of my work, his unmatched knowledge of the topic and his patience over many years, I am very grateful.
There are numerous other colleagues who have provided me with help and assistance, including Alex Callinicos, Maria Dimova-Cookson , David Howell, Linda Lofthouse, Sue Mendus, Caroline Moore and Colin Tyler. I am grateful to colleagues who have attended Political Theory Workshops, at which versions of this thesis have been presented, for their helpful comments, and also to two anonymous referees for the History of Political Thought .
I would like to thank the staff at the following libraries: University of York library; York Minster library; Borthwick Institute library, York; British Library, Boston Spa; Manchester City library; John Rylands University library; University of Newcastle library; London School of Economics and Political Science; W.E.A. archive, Temple House; Lambeth Palace library; Senate House library; National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh; Scottish Record Office, Edinburgh; Bodleian library, Oxford; Christ Church College library; Oxford City library; Balliol College library; Sheffield University library; Sheffield City library.
I wish to thank the editors and publisher of History of Political Thought for permission to incorporate material from my article ‘Ball, Bosanquet and the Legacy of T.H. Green’, which appeared in Vol. XX, No. 4 (1999).
Finally, I would like to thank Erica and my family for their support and interest. Sine qua non .

Introduction
The former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and socialist writer, Roy Hattersley, has told how he was asked by journalists during the 1987 general election campaign what were the philosophical foundations of his socialism. All he was able to say, he recalled, was ‘T.H. Green’. [1] This book is an attempt to offer some explanation for how an explicitly Liberal thinker like Green could have influenced ethical socialists in the Labour Party such as Hattersley.
The idea that there is some connection between the British idealists and the doctrine of English socialism is not new to academic circles . There has been much discussion over many years about the true influence of Thomas Hill Green and his followers and the debate in the literature appears to have divided into two distinct camps.
What I will term the traditional view has maintained that Green’s influence on the development of socialism was indeed significant. Adam Ulam perhaps offered the most substance to support his analysis of philosophical idealism and English socialism, but many of his contemporaries, from political philosophers like Sabine to practising socialists such as Sidney Webb, also identified a clear connection between T.H. Green and socialist thought [2] . Bowle summed up the thoughts of many when he argued: ‘[t]he first foundations of the Socialist State were laid by Liberal humanists and its legislation enacted by statesmen trained, as was Asquith, in this Oxford way of thought’. [3] Indeed this argument was so persuasive as to lead commentators to see Green’s influence in a wide variety of realms, from the creation of the welfare state to the establishment of a Labour Party. [4] Randall puts it at its strongest, when he argues: ‘It is hardly too much to say that [Green’s] social thought dominated the British Labour Party, in its non-Marxian divisions, down through G.D.H. Cole and Harold J. Laski’. [5] It must be said, however, that despite a wealth of different assessments of the idealists’ influence, there was little provision of academic argument to support these claims.
Perhaps because of this latter point, the general presumption of a causal relationship between idealism and socialism has come under serious attack over the last thirty years or so. Melvin Richter’s detailed textual and historical study of Green’s thought acted as a catalyst for a general reassessment of the idealists’ influence and specifically their impact on socialism [6] . This has been complemented by many contemporary studies into their political thought, spearheaded by Michael Freeden. Freeden is critical of the notion that Green had an influence on socialism, claiming that his ideas reflected rather than directed changes in political thought during the period [7] . Indeed there is now a growing body of literature that challenges the idea that Green and his colleagues contributed anything radical to the debate about the ‘social question’ whatsoever [8] .
The pendulum of academic opinion about the role of idealism in the formation of socialism has swung back considerably. It is the purpose of this work to discover where the true balance lies. I show that, while some of the more exaggerated claims about Green’s influence are without foundation, the effect of the idealists’ work on the development of socialism has been dismissed too swiftly. I do this, not by adopting any of the potential fallacies of ideological research which Freeden rightly identifies, but through a detailed analysis of the idealists’ philosophy and ideology and its connections with socialism [9] .
The central claim of this book is that Green and his followers have played a significant role in the creation of a type of ethical socialism that has been adopted by figures such as R.H. Tawney. The role of the idealists was to establish a new philosophical settlement centred around an epistemological understanding of the world which emphasised its inter-relation, a moral and spiritual personality which acted as a counterbalance against materialistic assumptions and the rise of science, and an intertwined and organically related society, with individuals only able to achieve their potential with the assistance of their community. I claim that, just as empiricist philosophical assumptions could be said to have underpinned Classical Liberalism, idealism helped to shape the development of a new and different political tradition.
The essential features of this new idealist-inspired ideology were: a belief in a common good, which could unite the interests of different individuals; the support for equality of opportunity, to help create a less class-ridden society; a positive view of l