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Guild Socialism in the Sense That It Would Be Accepted by All, Or by a Majority Of, Guild Socialists

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Guild Socialism in the Sense That It Would Be Accepted by All, Or by a Majority Of, Guild Socialists Mr Cole has also written the following GUILD books :- THE WORLD OF LABOUR SOCIALISM LABOUR IN WAR-TIME SELF-GOVERNMENT IN I:i1DUSTRY RE-STATED (Published by G. Bell and Sons) A:i1 INTRODUCTION TO TRADE UNIO:-1ISM THE Pt,YMEC'lT OF WAGES TRADE U:i110NISM OK THE RAILWAYS (wilh R. PAGE ARNOT) BY (Published by the Labour Research D"partment) G. D. H.COLE LABOUR IN THE COyL\IONWEALTH (Published by the Swarthmore Press) SOCIAL THEORY CHAOS AND ORDER IC'I INDUSTRY (Published by Methuen and Co.) THE MEANI:i1G OF INDUSTRIAL FREE- DO~I (with W. MELLOR) (Published by the Daily Herald) LONDON LEONARD PARSONS PORTUGAL STREET ! l PREFACE THIS book does not claim to be an authoritative statement of Guild Socialism in the sense that it would be accepted by all, or by a majority of, Guild Socialists. There is, I am glad to First pv.llZished. October. H120. say, no such thing as a strict Guild orthodoxy; and for the most part it can only claim to be an expression of personal opinion. I think, however, that where the mutters discussed in it have been the subject-matter of actual Conference decisions of the National Guilds League, the views here taken will be found to be substantiallv in azreemcnt with those ex- p~essed by the<League, This can be seen by a reference to the reports published by the League, in which the most important of its Conference decisions are contained. I have to apologise, to some extent, for the compression of this book. I have found it very difficult to give, within the spare afforded, anything like a comprehensive statement of the Guild position, and the account is in many respects incomplete. This is the case especially ---- --------------blIlIIIIJIlIlI1lIlllllllllmlUlllllllllllllllllnlllll'Jiliillll!!!lI!ll\ll\ PREFACE with the brief section dealing with "transi- tion," and many important problems are en- tirely omitted. Readers are referred for fuller treatment of many of the points discussed to the Guild literature mcntioned in the biblio- graphy. I ought to mention that this study could not have taken quite its present shape but for CONTENTS the discussions of a study-circle of Guildsmen, ~'lIl'['TER of which I was a member, where many of the PAGE questions here dealt with were the subject of I TIlE DEMAND Fon FREEDOM 9 long contention. I take this opportunity of II THE BASIS OF DEMOCRACY - 27 thanking the members of the circle for giving 111 A GUILD IN BEING 42 me the chance of commemorising their best TV TIlE GUILD SYSTEM IN INDUSTIlY - ideas. I have also, of course, borrowed largely 68 from other Guild writers. V THE CONSUMER - 78 VI THE CIVIC SEHVICES - se G. D. H. COLE. September, 1920. VII TIlE STUUCTURE OF TIlE COMMUNE 117 VIII THE WORKING OF THE COMMU'-'E - 189 IX GUILD SOCIALISM IN AGlUCULTURE 161 X EVOLUTION AND REVOLUTION ]74- XI THE POLICY OF TRANSITION IS!! XII THE INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK 208 A NOTE ON HOOKS 217 I.-.DEX 219 GUILD SOCIALISM i:l " CHAPTER I TilE DEMAND FOR FREEDOM FOR any just appreciation of the social forces at work in the world to-day, there is no fact more essential to grasp than the broadening and deepening demand of the organised workers for the " control of industry." This demand is made, not in one country or in one form alone, but in nearly every country in which the industrial system is strongly es- tablished, and in as many forms as there are different national temperaments and tradi- tions. Nor is the demand new; for it has appeared, at least occasionally, throughout the history of the Labour Movement, in the " Owenite" Trade Unionism of the thirties in Great Britain, among anarchists and com- munists on the Continent of Europe, and among the early revolutionaries and reformers of the United States. But its character at the present time differs from any that it has pos- .1IIl•••• IIIII•• __ IlI!"'~iIlIIllfIrm,MlII F.a.a.ts5R1liilllll••"""'"""'NIll\iIll~ •••_"'__ .' 10 GUILD SOCIALISM THE DEMAND FOR FREEDOM 11 scssed before, not only bccause it is more human association and men's life in Society, IIniversa~a!1d has struck far deeper roots, but arises essentially out of the actual historical because It IS now based firmly on the positive sil.uation in which we are placed at the present achievements of working-class organisation, lime. The Guild Socialist believes what he and IS no longer purely Utopian, but con- believes not so much as the result of a process structive and practical. of abstr~ct reasoning, as because, if his funda- This I~ookon Guild Socialism is an attempt mental assumptions are granted, the Guild to c?,plam the real character of this demand, Socialist solution of the social problem seems partrcylarly as it appears amongst the English- 1.0 him to spring simply and naturally O?t of speaking peoples, and at the same time to Ihe form in which that problem presents Itself present thc central ideas of Guild Socialism to-day. He claims, not to be imagining a as above all an attempt to give theoretical and I ltopia in the clouds, l;mt to. be givifolgform practical expression to the aspirations on which and direction to certain quite definite ten- the demand is based. It is written in the belief dencies which are now at work in Society, and that, until we devise and create forms of social 10 be anticipating the most natural develop- organisation within which these aspirations can ments of alreadv existing institutions and find reasonable satisfaction, there is neither social forces. H~ does not mind being called hope of any "reconstruction" which will a " visionary" ; for he is quite convinced that make our industrial system efficient nor pros- his visions are eminently practical. pect of health in the body social as a whole. The best way then, of understanding the Althou¥h, therefore, the way of approach and Cuild Socialist' ~~ttitude is to see, first, what the main subJect-matter of this book are in- arc the fundamental assumptions about So- dustrial, its impiications and conclusions will ciety which the Guildsman makes; secondly, be found to extend over a considerably wider how he visualises the situation with which the field than that of industry, and indeed to in- industrialised communities of Europe, America volve a theory of democratic representative and Australasia are at present confronted; and government as a whole and constructive pro- thirdly, what are the forces and institutions posals governing ~he general lines of political in whose development he believes that the as well as mdustnal reconstruction. solution of the problem principally lies. A The Guild Socialist theory while like all correct appreciation of these po~~ts will cl~ar other social theories, it mak~~ certai~ funda- the way for a constructive eXpOSItIOnof GUIld mental assumptions concerning the objects of Socialist proposals. : ' •••• R111_fl(11"!'1'l:.nl1lt111lll!~I •••IIlI••II.I __ ••!III••••••__ IIII'_ 12 GUILD SOCIALISM THE DEMAND FOR FREEDOM 13 Guildsmen aSSUInethat the essential social whinh is self-governing in this complete sense, values are human values, and that Society is over the whole length and breadth of its ac- to be regarded as a complex of associations t.ivities, can hope to call out what is best in held together by the wills of their members it.s members, or to give them that maximum whose well-being is its purpose. They assum~ opportunity for personal and social self- further that it is not enough that the forms expression which is requisite to real freedom. of government should have the passive or But such arguments as this, by which the as- " implied" consent of the governed but that sumptions stated above may be sustained and the Society will be in health only if it is in reinforced, really depend for their appeal upon the. ful~ sen.se democratic and self-governing, the same considerations, and are, in the last which implies not only that all the citizens resort, different ways of stating the same should have ~ "right" to influence its policy fundamental position. The essence of the If they so.desire, but that the greatest possible Guild Socialist attitude lies in the belief that opportumty should be afforded for every citi- Society ought to be so organised as to afford zen actually to exercise this right. In other the greatest possible opportunity for individual words, the Guild Socialist conception of de- and collective self-expression to all its mem- mocra~y, which it assumes to be good, involves bers, and that this involves and implies the an active and not merely a passive citizenship extension of positive self-government through on the part of the members. Moreover and all its parts. this is p.erhaps the .most vital and significant Noone can reasonably maintain that Society assumption of all, It regards this democratic is organised on such a principle to-day. \Ve principle as applying, not onlv or mainlv to do. indeed. possess in theory a very large some special spliere of social a~tion -k~;;;~~~ Ill~asure or' d~mocracy; but there are -at least " politics," but to any and every form of social three sufficient reasons which make this the- action, and, in especial, to industrial and oretical democracy largely inoperative in prac- economic fully as much as to political affairs. tice. In the first place, even the theory of . In calIi~g. these .t~e fundamental assump- democracy to-day is still largely of the " con- tions of GUIld Socialism, I do not mean to sciousness of consent" type.
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