"Essays on socialism" is a book published in
1887 by British political activists Annie Besant and Charles Bradlaugh,
containing pro-socialist essays by the former. Besant is best known for her
leading role in the Theosophical Society and the Indian independence movement,
but this was still in the future when "Essays on socialism" were published.
In 1887, Besant was an associate of the explicit atheist Bradlaugh, the founder
of the National Secular Society (which still exists). Interestingly, Besant and
Bradlaugh didn't see eye to eye on socialism, and the original edition of
"Essays on socialism" (available free on-line) contain ads for
Bradlaugh's anti-socialist pamphlets! Well, at least they had free speech
within the free-thinkers movement...
I admit that "Essays on socialism" isn't particularly interesting, except perhaps for Besant's biographers. I read some of it, and skimmed the rest. Besant's arguments are Socialism 101. Three things stand out. One is Besant's strong orientation towards Parliament, electoral reform and legislation. The more riotous forms of class struggle are hardly ever mentioned in the essays, except as negative examples of what happens when social reforms aren't enacted. It's not clear whether this was Besant's actual position, or a clever tactic to avoid state prosecution (Besant and Bradlaugh had been in trouble with the law on several previous occasions).
Apparently, Besant was involved in more militant struggles, including "Bloody Sunday" in 1887 and the London matchgirls' strike of 1888. On the other hand, her tactic included a close alliance with the Radicals, the "left" wing of the Liberals. In her essays, Besant skillfully points out that the Radicals advocate many measures which, if taken to their logical conclusion, should lead to socialism: bills interfering with the "rights" of employers (such as bills prohibiting child labour), the creation of a national education system, the nationalization of public communications, etc.
The other thing that struck me was a "syndicalist" or "anarchist" tendency, with Besant calling for trade union ownership of each branch of industry. Thus, the mineworkers' union should own the mines, and so on. In one essay, she proposes that the local community should own the means of production within its area. This is contradicted, however, by Besant's constant insistence on state ownership and control over all land, with the peasants leasing the land rather than owning it themselves. At one point, Besant emphasizes that no blue-prints for a future socialist society are possible.
The third thing that struck me is that Besant calls for population control, and seems to accept the argument that overpopulation is at least partly to blame for poverty and low wage-levels. The socialist community will decide on the desired number of births.
To be perfectly honest, I found "Essays on socialism" to be a boring read, but since everything written by Besant is somehow intrinsically interesting, I will give it the OK rating.
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