Thomas Hodgskin (12 December 1787 – 21 August 1869) was an English

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

writer on

political economy Political economy is the study of how economic systems (e.g. markets and national economies) and political systems (e.g. law, institutions, government) are linked. Widely studied phenomena within the discipline are systems such as labour ...

, critic of capitalism and defender of

free trade Free trade is a trade policy that does not restrict imports or exports. It can also be understood as the free market idea applied to international trade. In government, free trade is predominantly advocated by political parties that hold econ ...

and early

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

s. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the term ''socialist'' included any opponent of

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...

, at the time defined as a construed political system built on privileges for the owners of capital.

Biography

Hodgskin's father. who worked at the British Admiralty dock stores, enrolled him in the navy at the age of 12. Coming into conflict with the naval discipline of the time, Hodgskin was retired by the Navy at the age of 25. Publication of his ''Essay on Naval Discipline'' brought Hodgskin to the attention of radicals such as

Francis Place Francis Place (3 November 1771 in London – 1 January 1854 in London) was an English social reformer. Early life He was an illegitimate son of Simon Place and Mary Gray. His father was originally a journeyman baker. He then became a Marshalse ...

. In 1815 Hodgskin travelled in France and Germany, experiences which he later documented in his ''Travels in the North of Germany''. Entering the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

for study, Hodgskin later came to London and entered the

utilitarian In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals. Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different charac ...

circle around Place,

Jeremy Bentham Jeremy Bentham (; 15 February 1748 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_February_1747.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. 4 February 1747">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.htm ...

and

James Mill James Mill (born James Milne; 6 April 1773 – 23 June 1836) was a Scottish historian, economist, political theorist, and philosopher. He is counted among the founders of the Ricardian school of economics. He also wrote ''The History of Brit ...

. With their support, he spent the next five years in a programme of travel and study around Europe which resulted inter alia in a second book, ''Travels in North Germany'' (1820). He married Eliza Hegewesch in Edinburgh in 1819. In 1823, Hodgskin joined forces with Joseph Clinton Robertson in founding the ''Mechanics Magazine''. In the October 1823 edition of the ''Mechanics Magazine'', Hodgskin and Francis Place wrote a manifesto for a Mechanics Institute. Despite his high profile in the agitated revolutionary times of the 1820s, he retreated into the realm of Whig journalism after the Reform Act 1832. Hodgskin had a family of seven children to support. He became an advocate of

and spent fifteen years writing for ''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...

''.

Legacy

Hodgskin was a pioneer of anti-capitalism,

individualist anarchism Individualist anarchism is the branch of anarchism that emphasizes the individual and their will over external determinants such as groups, society, traditions and ideological systems."What do I mean by individualism? I mean by individualism th ...

and

libertarian socialism Libertarian socialism, also known by various other names, is a left-wing,Diemer, Ulli (1997)"What Is Libertarian Socialism?" The Anarchist Library. Retrieved 4 August 2019. anti-authoritarian, anti-statist and libertarianLong, Roderick T. (2 ...

. His criticism of employers appropriation of the lion's share of the value produced by their employees went on to influence subsequent generations of

socialists Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the eco ...

, including

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

References

External links

*
Labour Defended against the Claims of Capital
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hodgskin, Thomas 1787 births 1869 deaths 19th-century British economists 19th-century English male writers 19th-century English philosophers Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Anarchist theorists Anarchist writers British anti-capitalists British deists British social commentators English anarchists English male non-fiction writers English political philosophers English political writers English sailors English socialists Free-market anarchists Libertarian socialists People from Chatham, Kent

Biography

Legacy

References

Further reading

External links