Opening of the book
The History of the Fabian
Society
By
Edward R. Pease
Secretary for Twenty-five Years
With Twelve Illustrations
Publisher's logo
NEW YORK
E.P. DUTTON & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
Preface
The History of the Fabian Society will perhaps chiefly interest the members, present and past, of the Society. But in so far as this book describes the growth of Socialist theory in England, and the influence of Socialism on the political thought of the last thirty years, I hope it will appeal to a wider circle.
I have described in my book the care with which the Fabian Tracts have been revised and edited by members of the Executive
Committee. Two of my colleagues, Sidney Webb and Bernard Shaw,
have been good enough to revise this volume in like manner, and I have to thank them for innumerable corrections in style, countless suggestions of better words and phrases, and a number of amplifications and additions, some of which I have accepted without specific acknowledgment, whilst others for one reason or another are to be found in notes; and I am particularly grateful to Bernard Shaw for two valuable memoranda on the history of Fabian Economics, and on Guild Socialism, which are printed as an appendix.
The MS. or proofs have also been read by Mrs. Sidney Webb, Mrs.
Bernard Shaw, Sir Sydney Olivier, Graham Wallas, W. Stephen
Sanders, and R.C.K. Ensor, to each of whom my cordial thanks are due for suggestions, additions, and corrections.
To Miss Bertha Newcombe I am obliged for permission to reproduce the interesting sketch which forms the frontispiece.
E.R.P.
THE PENDICLE,
LIMPSFIELD,
SURREY,
January, 1916.
Contents
Chapter I
The Sources of Fabian Socialism
The ideas of the early eighties—The epoch of Evolution
—Sources of Fabian ideas—Positivism—Henry George—
John
Stuart
Mill—Robert
Owen—Karl
Marx—The
Democratic
Federation—"The
Christian
Socialist"—
Thomas Davidson
Chapter II
Keep listening free
Readnara
