E-text prepared by David Clarke, Martin Pettit,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
(/)
from page images generously made available by
Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries
(http://www.archive.org/details/toronto)
| Note: | Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries. See http://www.archive.org/details/mediaevalsocial00jarruoft |
MEDIAEVAL SOCIALISM
By BEDE JARRETT, O.P., M.A.
LONDON: T. C. & E. C. JACK
67 LONG ACRE, W.C., AND EDINBURGH
NEW YORK: DODGE PUBLISHING CO.
CONTENTS
- I. INTRODUCTION
- II. SOCIAL CONDITIONS
- III. THE COMMUNISTS
- IV. THE SCHOOLMEN
- V. THE LAWYERS
- VI. THE SOCIAL REFORMERS
- VII. THE THEORY OF ALMS-GIVING
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
- INDEX
- ADVERTISEMENTS
MEDIAEVAL SOCIALISM
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The title of this book may not unnaturally provoke suspicion. After all,howsoever we define it, socialism is a modern thing, and dependentalmost wholly on modern conditions. It is an economic theory which hasbeen evolved under pressure of circumstances which are admittedly of novery long standing. How then, it may be asked, is it possible to findany real correspondence between theories of old time and those whichhave grown out of present-day conditions of life? Surely whateveranalogy may be drawn between them must be based on likenesses whichcannot be more than superficial.
The point of view implied in this question is being increasingly adoptedby all scientific students of social and political opinions, and is mostcertainly correct. Speculation that is purely philosophic may indeedturn round upon itself. The views of Grecian metaphysicians may continuefor ever to find enthusiastic adherents; though even here, in the realmof purely abstract reasoning, the progressive development of science, ofpsychology, and kindred branches of knowledge cannot[Pg 6] fail by itsinfluence to modify the form and arrangement of thought. But in thosepurely p