Socialism and Society (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 edition. Excerpt: ... At any rate, in view of the emergence of these vital problems, we need to discover some illuminating idea of social organisation which will give each a natural order and a relative importance--which will enable us to find our place upon the map. Such are the conclusions to which a pretty intimate connection with the actual business of politics has led me. In this volume I have attempted to explain the conception of Society which seems to me to accord with observed fact and offer a guidance for the constructive work of legislation which lies awaiting us. It perhaps does not deserve to be called the work of the study. Rather is it the jottings of spare moments saved with much effort from the conflict in the arena-- the hurried summary of the principles of a politician. I accept the organic type of organisation as that to which Society corresponds in its essential characteristics, and also as that which is most fruitful as a guide for political experiments. But, far be it from me to claim that all Socialists hold, or should hold, that view. There is too much doctrinairism in Socialism already. But we must work upon some provisional hypothesis, if political effort is to be anything but a pastime of the useless classes. It is often said, writes M. Poincare as a physical scientist, * that experiments should be made without preconceived ideas. That is impossible. Not only would it make every experiment fruitless, but even if we wished to do so, it could not be done. Every man has his own conception of the world, and this he cannot so easily lay aside. We must, for example, use language, and our language is necessarily steeped in preconceived ideas. Only, they are unconscious preconceived ideas, which are a thousand times the most...