Early socialism and Robert Owen Flashcards
What had happened to socialist ideas by 1812?
They had begun to emerge in more sections of society
What did Robert Owen and David Ricardo both act as?
Important figures in establishing the concept and applying socialist principles to their lives
What could both Ricardo and Owen see?
That the value of a product should bear some relation to the amount of labour that has gone into producing it
What did Owen think about the industrial workforce?
He believed that it had a great value and that if properly treated and nurtured, people would work harder, with the end result being increased productivity
Why is Owen often credited as being the figurehead of early British socialism over Ricardo?
He was better at putting his ideas into practise
How did Owen run his workforce along benevolent lines?
- There was no exploitation of the workforce and their were limits over the age at which children could work and the hours they were allowed to work
- Organised recreational activities for the workers’ wellbeing, like dancing and singing classes after shifts had finished
What does Wood claim is the main distinction between Ricardo and Owen?
Ricardo was the first theoretical British socialist, and Owen was the first practical British socialist
What does Hilton say about Owen?
That even though Owen’s idea was paternalist rather than socialist, the only effective brand of socialism in 19th century Britain was Owenism
Define socialism
The sharing of wealth between all members of the community
What did Owen believe about human character?
He it was formed by circumstances, so it might be developed by controlling a persons external circumstances
Where did Owen put his ideas about managing the workforce into practise?
In his New Lanark Mills
Where did Owen put his ideas about sculpting the human character into practise?
In his school, where there was no corporal punishment
What did Owen do in 1824?
Went to the US to put into practise his ideas about small, integrated, self-sufficient communities in which the producers would own the means of production and would exchange products on the basis of the labour value of the commodity
Why did Owen have mixed success in America?
Because even though the small self sufficient communities he set up may have improved the lives of his workers and helped spread the idea to Britain, Owen lost a fortune in setting them up, suggesting that they may have been economically impractical even if they were morally and ideologically sound
What did Owen do after returning to Britain from America?
He played a significant role in the establishment of the TU and cooperative movements
