Synopsis
The Servile State, published in 1912, is Hilaire Belloc's foray into economic theory and philosophy. In it he promotes the idea of "distributism," as opposed to capitalism and socialism. "The servile state is that in which the mass of men shall be constrained by law to labor for the profit of a minority," Belloc says. And this state is the ordinary and natural ends of both capitalism and socialism, though they may arrive there by different routes. In contrast, Belloc envisions a society in which each individual strives to be the owner of means of production, rather than a worker who merely earns wages. By owning what he needs to make his living, man can experience true freedom. It has happened before, he says, most notably in Britain before the Protestant Reformation. Modern readers will hear many echoes from Belloc in today's campaigns for co-ops and locally-owned businesses, which seek to replace large corporations with smaller operations that more adequately distribute wealth. Students of economics and history, as well as those interested in politics and the effects of economics on society, will find this a thought-provoking and galvanizing read. French writer and thinker HILAIRE BELLOC (1870-1953) is known as "the man who wrote a library." He expounded extensively on a number of subjects, including French and British history, military strategy, satire, comic and serious verse, literary criticism, topography and travel, translations, and religious, social, and political commentary. Among his most famous works are The Path to Rome (1902) and Emmanuel Burden (1903).
Présentation de l'éditeur
Preface, a few words upon the thesis it maintains and the method through which that thesis is treated. It appears the more necessary to do so because a careful comparison of the reviews and other expressions of opinion which it has received convinces the author that parts of his argument are liable to misconception. I twould be a pity to correct such misconception by any changes in a completed book ;a few words set down here by way of Preface should be sufficient for the purpose. First: I would point out that the argument contained in the book bears no relation to the common accusation levelled against Socialists (that is, Collectivists) that life in a Socialist State would be so subject to regulation and order as to be unduly oppressive. With this common objection to the reform advocated by Socialists I have nothing to do in this book, nor can it touch my subject at any point. This book does not discuss the Socialist State. Indeed it is the very heart of my thesis that we are not, as a fact,approaching Socialism at all.but a very different state of society; to wit.
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)
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