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

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

writer on

political economy Political or comparative economy is a branch of political science and economics studying economic systems (e.g. Marketplace, markets and national economies) and their governance by political systems (e.g. law, institutions, and government). Wi ...

, critic of capitalism and defender of

free trade Free trade is a trade policy that does not restrict imports or exports. In government, free trade is predominantly advocated by political parties that hold Economic liberalism, economically liberal positions, while economic nationalist politica ...

and early

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

s. His views differ from some of the views later assigned to the word 'socialism'. 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 use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...

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. 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 (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

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 the affected individuals. In other words, utilitarian ideas encourage actions that lead to the ...

circle around Place,

Jeremy Bentham Jeremy Bentham (; 4 February Dual dating, 1747/8 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. 5 February 1748 Old Style and New Style dates, N.S.– 6 June 1832) was an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer regarded as the founder of mo ...

and James Mill. 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 The Representation of the People Act 1832 (also known as the Reform Act 1832, Great Reform Act or First Reform Act) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (indexed as 2 & 3 Will. 4. c. 45), enacted by the Whig government of Pri ...

. 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 newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...

''.

Legacy

Hodgskin was a pioneer of

anti-capitalism Anti-capitalism is a political ideology and movement encompassing a variety of attitudes and ideas that oppose capitalism. Anti-capitalists seek to combat the worst effects of capitalism and to eventually replace capitalism with an alternati ...

, individualist anarchism and

libertarian socialism Libertarian socialism is an anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist political current that emphasises self-governance and workers' self-management. It is contrasted from other forms of socialism by its rejection of state ownership and from other ...

. 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 an economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes the economic, political, and socia ...

, including

Karl Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...

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 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 Socialist economists

Biography

Legacy

References

Further reading

External links