The Fabian Society in Late Victorian Britain

Dr Andrzej Diniejko, D. Litt.; Contributing Editor, Poland

[Victorian Web Home > Political History > Social History > Socialisn and related reform movements]

Educate, Agitate, Organize George Bernard Shaw

Introduction
ThelastquarterofthenineteenthcenturyinBritainwasmarkedbyagrowingcritiqueoflaissezfairecapitalismandanupsurgeofinterestinsocialistideas.The
Britishsocialistmovementgrewparticularlystrongintheperiodbetweenthe1880sand1914andincludedChristianandlibertariansocialists,Fabians,andMarxists.
TheFabianSociety,establishedinLondonin1884,aimedtopromoteamoralreconstructionofBritishsocietyaccordingtosocialistprinciplesandlevelthegulf
betweentherichandthepoor.Fabians,unlikeMarxists,advocatedagradual,nonrevolutionarytransitiontosocialismbasedonhumanistfoundations.

Origin of the Name

TheFabianSocietytookitsname,suggestedbyoneofitsfoundingmembers,FrankPodmore,fromtheRomanGeneral,QuintusFabiusCunctator,whoavoideda
frontal attack on Hannibals army in the third century B.C., but used delaying tactics. Likewise, the Fabian Society preferred not to support a revolutionary
transformation,butwascommittedtopromotingevolutionarysocialisminBritain.

The Fellowship of the New Life

ThedirectpredecessoroftheFabianSocietywasTheFellowshipoftheNewLife,autopianassociation,foundedinLondonin1883bytheScottishAmericanscholar
ThomasDavidson(18401900),asanintellectualdiscussionandstudygroupdedicatedtodevelopingmodelsofmoralregeneration.ThemembersoftheFellowship
wereethicalsocialists,imbuedwithidealism,whowantedtoachievesocialchangethroughtheinculcationofideasthatwouldupgradeindividualpeopleand,
eventually,society.TheyincludedthepoetandhomosexualemancipationistEdwardCarpenter,journalistWilliamClarke,sexologistHavelockEllisandhisfuture
wifeEdithLees,awomen'srightsactivist;bankclerkHubertBlandandhiswifeEdithNesbith,thefutureauthorofbooksforchildren;socialreformeranddefender
ofanimalrightsHenryStephensSalt;RamseyMcDonald,andinvoiceclerkinawarehouseandthefutureLabourprimeminister;andtwoclerksatLondonStock
Exchange:EdwardPeaseandFrankPodmore.

The establishment of the Fabian Society

OnJanuary4,1884at17OsnaburghStreet,asplintergroup,whichputsocialreformbeforemoralregeneration,brokeawayfromtheFellowshipandformedthe
FabianSocietyforthepurposeofreconstructingBritishsocietyonanoncompetitivebasisinordertosecureitsgeneralwelfareandhappiness.Thefounding
membersincludedEdwardPease,EdithNesbith,HubertBland,andFrankPodmore.NinemonthslaterGeorgeBernardShawbecameoneofitsmostactivemembers,
andinMay1885,heinvitedtwoyoungColonialOfficeclerks,SidneyWebbandSydneyOliviertojointheSociety.Someotherearlynotablemembersincluded
BeatricePotter(laterWebb),EdwardCarpenter,EleanorMarx(KarlMarx'seldestdaughter),AnnieBesant,GrahamWallas,andbriefly,HerbertGeorgeWells(from
1903to1908).From1890,theSocietyhadapaidsecretary,Pease,whomanageddailybusinessuntil1913.In1891,theSocietybegantopublishamonthly
journal,FabianNews,withBlandandPeaseaseditors.
Until1886,theFabianSociety,whichconsistedmostlyofmiddleclassintellectualsofdifferentpoliticalandsocialorientations,followedastrategyproposed
byShaw.However,theSocietywasnotunanimousinitsopinions.Inthelate1880sandearly1890stherewereimportantstrugglesbetweentheanarchistsandstate
socialistswithintheSociety,andbetweenthereformistswithintheSocietyandtherevolutionariesoutsideitprincipallythoseoftheSocialDemocraticFederation
andtheSocialistLeague.(Blazeer50)AnumberofrankandfilemembersoftheSocietybegantothinkaboutforminganindependentparty.Soontwocontrary
politicalviewpointsemergedamongtheearlyFabians:somewantedtocreateanewindependentlabourparty,whileothers,includingSidneyWebb,wantedto
propagatesocialismamongtheLiberals(Bevir,1996:18788).
Inthe1890stheSocietycontinueditsstrategyofsmallstepstowardssocialism,whichwastocomebyballots,notrevolution.Itfavouredmunicipalownership
ofsomeutilities.TheearlyFabiansbelievedthatthecontrolofmunicipalmanagementwasanimportantsteptowardssocialistreforms.ThemembershipoftheFabian
Societysteadilyincreased,from31in1884to116in1886,and2000in1908(Milburn321).Intheearly1890s,theFabianSocietyestablisheditsnewbranchesin
Bradford,Bristol,ManchesterandSheffield.TheFabianSocietieselsewhereintheUnitedKingdomreachedthepeakmembershipofabout1500in1892,andthen
followedasteadydecline,andasignificantrevivalby1913(McBriar165).
TheactivitiesoftheearlyFabianSocietyweremostlylimitedtofortnightlymeetingswithaleadingspeaker,publiclectures,andpublicationsofFabianTracts.
In1892,SidneyWebbandfiveotherFabianswereelectedtotheLondonCountyCouncil,wheretheytriedtopropagatetheideasof'municipalsocialism',which

calledforthepublicownershipofurbanutilitiesandtramlines,betterwagesforcityworkers,improvedfreepubliceducationandvocationaltraining.EarlyFabians
werealsoveryactiveinvariouseducationalboardsinLondon.Forexample,SidneyWebbwasChairmanoftheTechnicalEducationCommitteeoftheLondonCity
Council,GrahamWallaswasChairmanoftheSchoolManagementCommitteeoftheLondonSchoolBoard,andanotherFabian,theRev.StewartHeadlamwas
ChairmanoftheEveningClassesCommitteeoftheSchoolBoard(McBriar202).
TheearlyFabianshopedthattheLiberalPartywouldimplementsocialreforms.By1892,EnglishliberalismhadsufficientlybeenpermeatedwithFabianideas.
AtthesametimetheSocietybegantoattractsocialistsandlabourleaders,suchasHeirKardie,WillCrooks,andBenTillett.InManchesterRobertBlatchford(1851
1943)establishedalocalFabianSocietyandeditedasocialistweekly,TheClarion,whichgainedalargeworkingclassreadership.In1893,hepublishedautopian
socialisttract,MerrieEngland,whichsoldovertwomillioncopiesinBritainonly.Inthelastyearsofthe19thcentury,manyprovincialmembersoftheFabian
SocietysupportedthenewlyestablishedIndependentLabourParty,andin1900,theFabianshelpedestablishtheLabourRepresentativeCommittee,whichbecame
theLabourPartyin1906.

Inspirations
EarlyFabianeconomictheorywasdevelopedingreatmeasureundertheinfluenceofJohnStuartMill'sPrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy(1848),andhisfamous
essayOnLiberty(1859)helpedshapethebasictenetsofFabiansocialism.AnothersignificantinfluencewastheAmericaneconomistHenryGeorge(18391897).
EmulatingGeorge,theFabiansstatedthatbothlandandcapitalwereunearnedincrementsforlandlordsandcapitalists.ThedoctrinesofFredericHarrison's(1831
1923)positivismalsocontributedtotheFabiantheoryofsocialism.Besides,theearlyFabiansderivedinspirationfromdiversewriters,poets,thinkers,scientistsand
politiciansincludingWilliamLangland,WilliamBlake,SamuelTaylorColeridge,RalphWaldoEmerson,RobertOwen,AugusteComte,CharlesDarwin,Benjamin
Disraeli,WilliamGladstone,WilliamMorris,aswellasChristianSocialists.
AManifesto
OnSeptember5,1884,ShawcontributedthesecondimportantFabianTract,titled AManifesto,whichpresentedopinions,laterknownas'principlesofFabianism'.
Themostimportant'principles'arebesummarisedbelow:
Landandcapitalhavecreatedthedivisionofsocietyintohostileclasses,withlargeappetitesandnodinnersatoneextremeandlargedinnersandnoappetitesat
theother.Nationalisationoflandisapublicduty.Capitalismhasceasedtoencourageinventionandtodistributeitsbenefitsinthefairestwayattainable.Underthe
existingsystemofthenationalindustry,competitionhastheeffectofrenderingadulteration,dishonestdealing,andinhumanitycompulsory.ThePublicRevenue
shouldbeleviedbyadirectTax.TheStateshouldcompetewithprivateindividualsespeciallywithparentsinprovidinghappyhomesforchildren,sothatevery
childmayhavearefugefromthetyrannyorneglectofitsnaturalcustodians.Thesexesshouldenjoyequalpoliticalrights.TheStateshouldsecureafree,liberal
educationforeverybody.TheestablishedGovernmenthasnomorerighttocallitselftheStatethanthesmokeofLondonhastocallitselftheweather.

Programme
In1887,theFabianSocietypublisheditsprogramme,knownasTheBasis,whichproposedtheuseoftheexistinginstitutions,partyandparliamentarymachinery
fortherealizationofsocialreforms.Thesereforms,whichcanbedescribedasFabiansocialism,aimedattheeliminationofprivatelyownedlandandthe
establishmentofcommunityownershipofthemeansofproduction.(Milburn320)Theinstrumentstoachievethesegoalsweredemocraticgovernmentcontrol,
municipalisationandnationalisation.TheFabianSocietyrejectedtheMarxiantheoryoftheclassstruggleandpostulatedthatthetransitionfromcapitalismto
socialismwouldneverbecarriedbyforce.
The objectives of the Fabian Society were socialist, but its methods were not revolutionary; they were evolutionary and reformist. Instead of 'class
consciousness',Fabiansemphasisedunbiasedanalysisofconcretesocialsituationsbasedonverifiabledata.Theygenerallyadvocatedcollectiviststatesocialism.

Fabian Tracts
TheFabianSocietydisseminateditsideasinlectures,publicdebates,andtracts.Themostimportantearlytractwas FabianEssaysinSocialism,editedbyGeorge
BernardShawandpublishedin1889.Itcontainedeightlectures,deliveredin1888intheworkingmen'sclubsandpoliticalassociationsofLondonbyseveninfluential
membersoftheFabianSociety:Shaw,SidneyWebb,WilliamClarke,SydneyOliver,AnnieBesant,GrahamWallas,andHubertBland.Theysetforththeideology
andprogrammeoftheSocietyinhopethattheywouldgraduallyprompttheLiberalpartytoadoptandimplementinEnglishlaw.Theauthorsdealtalmostwholly
withEnglishconditionsandproblems.Thetractsold46,000copiespriortoWorldWarOneandbecametheblueprintforsocialistlegislation.Itwasalsopublishedin
theUSAandothercountriesandtranslatedintoseverallanguages.
ThefirstpartofthebookcontainsacritiqueoftheexistingsocialinstitutionsinEngland.Inthesecondparttheorganisationofpropertyandindustryunderthe
socialiststateisdescribed.WilliamClarkeoutlinedthegrowthofindustrialproductiontillitculminatedinmonopolycapitalismandannihilatedfreecompetition.
SidneyWebbexplainedwhythelaissezfairesystemhadtobeabandonedintheeconomyandthestatewasforcedtointroduceapolicyofinterferenceinanumberof
industries,particularlyinthefactoriesandmines.WallasandAnnieBesantsketchedthefuturesocialiststate.
Overonehundredtractswerepublishedintheyearsbetween1884and1901.Theydealtmostlywithelectoralreform,industrialrelations,localgovernment,
poverty,socialreform(suchaseducation,healthandpensions),socialismandwomensissues.MostoftheideasoftheFabianSocietywerepublishedbyits
individualmembersundertheirownnames.TheearlyFabiansarguedthatlandandcapitalmustbenationalisedfromlandlordsandcapitalistsbecausetheyweretheir
unearnedincrement,whichmustbereturnedtosociety.

Permeation

Initsearlystage,theFabianSocietyadoptedapolicyof'permeation',whichinvolvedinfiltratingexistinginstitutions,partiesandParliamentbyitsmembersand
supportersinordertocarryoutsocialandeconomicreforms.Fabiansmanagedtopermeatetheirideologytomanypeoplewhowerenotsocialistsbutthoughtof
reforms.Theirprincipalobjectivewasnationalisationoftheindustries.
The object of the Fabian Society is to persuade the English people to make their political constitution thoroughly democratic and so to socialize their industries as to
make the livelihood of the people entirely independent of private Capitalism. [Fabian Tract No. 70, 3]

TheleadingFabiansproposeddifferentstrategiesofpermeation.TheyconsideredtheLiberalstobemoreopentoFabianinfluencethantheConservatives.
Therefore,forsometimetheysupportedtheLiberalgovernment,butwhentheyrealisedthatitdidnotintendtointroducesocialreforms,theypublishedin1893a
pamphlet,ToYourTents,OIsrael,inwhichtheycalledforthecreationofatrulyworkingclassparty.WhentheIndependentLabourpartywasformedinthatyear,
theFabianSocietysupportedit.
ThestrategyofpermeationwasusedsuccessfullybyFabians,whoparticipatedinelectionstovariousgoverningbodies,suchastheLondonCountyCouncil
andtheHouseofCommons.Theycalledforthespreadofmunicipalsocialism,whichwasmanifestedinsocialreformsundertakenbylocalgovernments,suchas
developmentofwaterandgassupply,slumclearances,andsanitation.Besides,theyadvocatedtheeighthourworkingday,publiceducation,andtheestablishmentof
universalsuffrage.Asaresult,theFabianSocietypressedsuccessfullyontheLiberaldominatedProgressivePartyintheLondonCountyCouncilinthe1890s.In
1899,theFabianSocietyparticipatedintheformationofalocalgovernmentInformationBureau.

Early Fabians and the Empire

UntiltheBoerWar,in1899,theFabianSocietyhadpaidlittleornoattentiontotheimperialrule.TheSocietywasmostlyconcernedwithdomesticissues,suchas
nationalownership,freeeducation,andimprovementofthelifeofthepoorclasses.AmajorsplitoccurredintheSocietyoveritsresponsetotheBoerWar,leadingto
theresignationofEmmelinePankhurst,WilliamClarke,andJ.RamsayMacDonald,atthattimeamemberoftheFabianExecutiveCommitteeandthefutureleader
of the Labour Party. In 1899, a group of Fabian rankandfile members, led by the future guildsocialist, S. G. Hobson, and supported by a few members,
unsuccessfullyattemptedtogettheFabianExecutivetoissueastatementofoppositiontothewaragainsttheBoers.
However,itwasin1900thattheSocietyfinallypublishedatractdraftedbyGeorgeBernardShaw, FabianismandtheEmpire,whichbecamethemost
significantstatementoftheSociety'simperialpolicy.Shawsupportedimperialexpansionbecause,asheclaimed,theworldevolvedtowardbigandpowerfulstates.
TheFabianscriticisedLiberals,butsupportedBritishimperialpolicyasameansofdisseminatingenlightenedprinciplesofgovernancethroughouttheworld.The
earlyFabiansocialistswantedtoreformBritain'simperialruleandturntheBritishEmpireintowhatwaslatercalledbytheWebbstheSocialistCommonwealth.They
spokeinfavourof'publicspirited'or'social'imperialism.HubertBlanddefendedBritishimperialpolicyarguingthatEnglandwastheonlycountryfittopioneerthe
blessingsofcivilisation.(Porter109)Shawpresentedtheviewthatsmallnations,liketheBoerRepublic,wereanachronisticinthenewworldofthetwentieth
century.(Semmel61)Eventually,theFabiansacceptedtheopinionthatBritainmustdefendandmaintainherempireinthemostefficientway.
The British Empire, wisely governed, is invincible. The British Empire, handled as we handled Ireland and the American colonies, and as we may handle South Africa if
we are not careful, will fall to pieces without the firing of a foreign shot. [ FabianismandEmpire, 15]

TheearlyFabiansbelieedthattheEmpirecouldbeefficientlymanagedbyintelligentandwiseexperts,suchasthosewhoattendedtheCoefficientsdiningclub
meetings,organisedbyBeatriceWebbandherhusbandin1902,tobringtogetherthemostinfluentialdecisionandopinionmakersBritain.TheearlyFabiansthus
dreamtofcreatingthesocialistheavenundertheBritishimperialflag.Theywerealsoconcernedabouttherearingofan'imperialrace'tohelpbalancethethreat
imposedbyemergingGermanimperialism.

The London School of Economics

OneofthegreatestachievementsoftheearlyFabianswasthefoundationoftheLondonSchoolofEconomicsin1894.Itwasasuccessfulattempttocontestwith
ancientuniversitiesofOxfordandCambridge.Thedecisiontocreateaneducationalestablishmentthatwouldinvestigatethesocialandeconomicproblemsoflate
VictorianBritainandpropagatetheideasoftheFabianSocietywasmadebyBeatriceandSidneyWebb,GrahamWallasandGeorgeBernardShawatabreakfast
partyattheWebbs'summerhouse(BoroughFarm)nearMilford,Surrey,on4August1894.
In1895,theFabianSocietyreceivedalargegrantfromHenryHuntHutchison,aDerbysolicitor,whichhelpedthemaccomplishthisproject.SoontheLondon
SchoolofEconomicsandPoliticalScience(LSE)developedrapidlythroughprivategrantsanddonations.ItbecameanimportantcentreofinfluenceofFabian
socialism.In1900,theLSEmergedwiththeUniversityofLondon,andin1903,theLSEopenedthefirstdepartmentofsociologyandsocialeconomicsinBritain.

Accomplishments
TheearlyFabiansaccomplishedquitealotinthewayofsocialreform,education,andpublicadministration.Fabiantractsbecamesourcesofinspirationforpublic
legislationinBritaininthefirsthalfofthe20thcentury.TheWebbsarguedconvincinglythatpovertyispreventableandcanbereducedthroughadequateand
effectivesocialservicesandpubliccontrol.TheearlyFabianstriedtosetEnglishsocialismonauniqueroad.TheyhelpedtoshapetheideologicalbasisoftheLabour
Partyandlaythefoundationsofmodernsocialwelfarepolicy.
SidneyWebb,contributedsignificantlytothepreparationoftheEducationActof1902,whichhandedoverthecontroloflocalschoolstoboroughorcity
councils.Overtime,theeducationsysteminBritainemulatedmanyFabianideas.AnotherimportantsuccessoftheearlyFabianswastheircontributiontothe
implementationofthemunicipalreform,whichwastoproduce,astheybelieved'municipalsocialism'(Clarkson468).

Fallacies and Aberrations

AlthoughtheFabianSocietycouldboastofaccomplishmentsinsocialreforminthefinaldecadeoftheVictorianera,theSocietywasnotimmunetofallacieswhich
boreonitslaterimage.TheearlyFabiansbelievederroneouslyinthequickbreakdownofcapitalismandtheemergenceofasocialismbasedonstatecontrol,strict
bureaucraticsocialplanningandmanagementforpublicwelfare.Fabiansocialismwasbynomeansdemocratic.TheWebbs,whoweretheleadingtheoreticiansof
Fabianism,proposedamodelofaprofessionallyadministeredsociety.Theybelievedthatinthesocialistcommonwealthpoliticalpartieswoulddisappear,and
politicianswouldbereplacedbyhighlyskilledandbenevolent'experts'andsalariedmiddleclasscivilbureaucratswhowouldcareforthegeneralwelfareofthe
ratherignorantandpassivelowerclassmasses.TheearlyFabiansbelievednaivelythatsocialproblemscouldbesolvedthroughscientificinvestigation,state
regulatedplanningandadministrativemeasuresaswellasthebenevolenceofenlightenedmiddleclasselites.
AnotherseriousflawintheimageoftheFabianSocietywascausedbyitssupportofthepseudoscienceofeugenics.Intheearly1900safewprominent
membersoftheSociety,includingSidneyandBeatriceWebb,aswellasShawandWells,advocatedtheidealofascientificallyplannedsocialistsocietyand
supportedaeugenicapproachtosocialpolicy.DevisedbyCharlesDarwinscousinFrancisGalton(18221911),eugenicsaimedtoreplacenaturalselectionwitha
plannedanddeliberateselectionofhumanspecies.Intunewithdegenerationtheory,whichgainedpopularityattheturnofthenineteenthcentury,SidneyWebb
lamentedinhispamphletTheDeclineintheBirthRate(1907)thatBritainisgraduallyfallingtotheIrishRomanCatholicsandtheJewsbecausetheupperclasses
werereluctanttoprocreate.
In Great Britain at this moment, when half, or perhaps two-thirds, of all the married people are regulating their families, children are being freely born to the Irish
Catholics and the Polish, Russian and German Jews, on the one hand, and to the thriftless and irresponsible largely the casual laborers and the other denizens of the
one-roomed tenements of our great cities on the other. [16-17]

TheWebbs,ShawandWellsferventlysupportedeugenics.BeatriceWebbdeclaredthateugenicsisthemostimportantquestionofallwhileherhusband
remarkedthatnoeugenicistcanbealaissezfaireindividualist"(Brignell),Shaw,whowasbrieflyalecturerfortheEugenicEducationSociety,wrotethatnothing
butaeugenicreligioncansaveourcivilizationfromthefatethathasovertakenallpreviouscivilisations(Benson85).Likewise,GeorgeHerbertWellsadvocated
sterilisationoffailures(Ray216).

Conclusion
TheFabianSocietybecamethepreeminentintellectualsocietyintheUnitedKingdomintheEdwardianera,butitsrootsareinthelateVictorianperiod.Fabianism
wasoneofthemoreinterestingstrandsofBritishsocialismwhichemergedinthelateVictorianera.TheearlyFabianswereopposedtotherevolutionarytheoryof
KarlMarx,whopropagatedthenecessityofaclasswar.Theirpurposewastoadvancethesocialistcausebyreformist,ratherthanrevolutionary,means.Fabianism
soughttoreconciletheutilitarianphilosophyofJeremyBenthamandJohnStuartMillwiththevaluesofliberty,democracy,economicprogressandsocialjustice.
TheyeventriedtorevivebothBenjaminDisraeli'sTorysocialismandWilliamGladstone'sliberalism,andhopedfortherealisationofasocialiststateandthenew
organisationofindustryinBritainthroughpermeationoftheirideastothecountry'sintellectualandpoliticalelites.Ashistoryhasshown,Fabianismfailedtodestroy
capitalisminBritainandelsewhere,buttheFabianSociety,inspiteofitsobviousfailuresandaberrations,shouldberememberedasamostsuccessfulagentofsocial
reforminlateVictorianBritain.Someofitsideashelpeddevelopmoderneducation,themodernwelfaresystemasacountermeasuretolaissezfaire,municipal
reforms,nationalinsurance,publichealthcare,tariffreform,employers'liability,minimumwages,workmen'scompensation,andeventheglobaleconomyinthe
twentiethcentury.