Mediaeval Socialism

Jarrett, Bede, 1881-1934Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 165K words
Chapters: 17

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Mediaeval Socialism by Bede JarrettAuthor: Jarrett, Bede, 1881-1934,Language: English, Class: HX: Social sciences: Socialism, Communism, Anarchism, Release Date: Oct 4, 2006

Editor's review

This book is the British Catholic thinker Bede Jarrett's retrospective examination of the idea of socialism in the Middle Ages: brief in length yet sharply focused in its problematic. The author does not treat socialism as a nineteenth-century invention, but seeks in medieval guilds, conceptions of land, communal life and the Church's social teaching for threads of cooperative mutual aid and common ownership. Its value lies in offering a long-duration perspective in intellectual history, helping readers understand how modern social thought grew out of medieval ethical and institutional traditions, and reminding them of the differences in meaning between the ancient and modern term "socialism." The prose has the restrained style of early twentieth-century British academic essays, with argument chiefly by summary and commentary, making it suitable as an introductory supplementary reader in the history of European medieval social thought. It is best read alongside materials on the history of medieval guilds and the history of Church social thought, appreciating its vision while remaining cautious about judgments colored by its era and standpoint.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in medieval European social institutions and intellectual history
Enthusiasts of intellectual history hoping to understand the prehistory of socialist ideas
Students researching Church social teaching and guild institutions
Learners needing a shorter English original as extensive reading material

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic economic analysis or statistical data
Readers who want only a Chinese translation and are unwilling to consult background materials
Researchers who cite the book's views directly as settled conclusions in medieval history

Reading tips

Begin with the introductory chapters to clarify which institutions and ideas the author means by "medieval socialism"
Cross-check basic historical facts such as medieval guilds and the commons while reading to avoid conflating concepts
Record the author's period standpoint separately from the historical evidence, forming one's own judgment
If length permits, read in two or three sittings, writing a brief summary after each

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book about socialism in the Marxist sense?

No. The author examines tendencies toward mutual aid, cooperation and common ownership in medieval guilds, communal life and Church social thought, which are not equivalent to the socialist theory centered on class analysis and ownership of the means of production after the nineteenth century; readers need to distinguish the ancient and modern meanings of the term.

Can I understand it without a background in medieval history?

You can read it, but the book touches on guilds, feudal land tenure and canon law, which are hard to grasp accurately without background. It is advisable to first acquire basic knowledge of medieval urban guilds and the manorial system, then read this book more smoothly.

Is this the original English edition, and how difficult is it?

The book comes from Project Gutenberg, with the main text in English; it is an early twentieth-century academic essay with long sentences but not overly difficult vocabulary. Readers with university-level English reading ability can finish it with a dictionary, making it suitable as extensive reading in the English original.

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About the author

Jarrett, Bede, 1881-1934 Author · British · 1881–1934

Bede Jarrett (1881–1934) was an English Dominican friar and historian. His research centred on medieval church and social history, with particular attention to the interaction between religious ideas and social institutions. His representative work, Mediaeval Socialism, approaches medieval social thought and its religious background to explore how people of the time understood property, community and justice. His other work, The Abiding Presence of the Holy Ghost in the Soul, turns to spiritual and theological themes, discussing the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the inner life of believers. One historical and one theological, the two books reflect a writing orientation that combines scholarship with religious concern. Public information about the details of his life is limited, and two of his works are currently held in the collection.