Between panacea and poison: "democracy" in British socialist thought, 1881-1891

Between panacea and poison: "democracy" in British socialist thought, 1881-1891

The history of democracy is increasingly understood as not only the recovery of its practices and conceptualisations but also of its signifiers. In order to grasp the transition of the word "democracy" from a reviled to a revered term in Britain, this article focuses on socialist uses of t...

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Published in:Intellectual history review 2021-10, Vol.31 (4), p.671-691
Main Author: Bonin, Hugo
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
Britain
Democracy
Fabian Society
Social Democratic Federation
socialism
Socialist League
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title Between panacea and poison: "democracy" in British socialist thought, 1881-1891
format Article
creator Bonin, Hugo
subjects Britain
Democracy
Fabian Society
Social Democratic Federation
socialism
Socialist League
ispartof Intellectual history review, 2021-10, Vol.31 (4), p.671-691
description The history of democracy is increasingly understood as not only the recovery of its practices and conceptualisations but also of its signifiers. In order to grasp the transition of the word "democracy" from a reviled to a revered term in Britain, this article focuses on socialist uses of the democratic idiom during the 1880s. Across a study of socialist publications, speeches and newspapers, three different uses of "democracy" emerge. First, the word could mean a political ideal to be materialised, through universal suffrage but more widely by means of popular and direct control of Parliament. Second, the term was seen as a dangerous illusion that cast a veil over capitalist oppression. Third, "democracy" could denote a political reality already present in Britain, which needed to be reflected in the economic sphere. Although sometimes diverging, these uses can be linked to three important socialist organisations: the Social Democratic Federation (S.D.F.), the Socialist League (S.L.) and the Fabian Society (F.S.). Recovering these distinctive uses illuminates the relationship between "democracy" and "socialism" and offers a key with which to understand our current political landscape.
language eng
source Taylor & Francis SSH 2022; Humanities Index
identifier ISSN: 1749-6977
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1749-6985
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