Signs of Change
- ISBN-10
- 1544223919
- ISBN-13
- 9781544223919
- Series
- Signs of Change
- Pages
- 164
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2017-03-06
- Author
- William Morris
Description
The word Revolution, which we Socialists are so often forced to use, has a terrible sound in most people's ears, even when we have explained to them that it does not necessarily mean a change accompanied by riot and all kinds of violence, and cannot mean a change made mechanically and in the teeth of opinion by a group of men who have somehow managed to seize on the executive power for the moment. Even when we explain that we use the word revolution in its etymological sense, and mean by it a change in the basis of society, people are scared at the idea of such a vast change, and beg that you will speak of reform and not revolution. As, however, we Socialists do not at all mean by our word revolution what these worthy people mean by their word reform, I can't help thinking that it would be a mistake to use it, whatever projects we might conceal beneath its harmless envelope. So we will stick to our word, which means a change of the basis of society; it may frighten people, but it will at least warn them that there is something to be frightened about, which will be no less dangerous for being ignored; and also it may encourage some people, and will mean to them at least not a fear, but a hope. Fear and Hope--those are the names of the two great passions which rule the race of man, and with which revolutionists have to deal; to give hope to the many oppressed and fear to the few oppressors, that is our business; if we do the first and give hope to the many, the few MUST be frightened by their hope; otherwise we do not want to frighten them; it is not revenge we want for poor people, but happiness; indeed, what revenge can be taken for all the thousands of years of the sufferings of the poor? Contents: How we Live and How we Might Live Whigs, Democrats, and Socialists Feudal England The Hopes of Civilization The Aims of Art Useful Work versus Useless Toil Dawn of a New Epoch
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Other editions
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- 2022-03-11
- 233 pages
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- 2021-11-08
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- Ebook
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