Gladstonian Ghosts

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chesterton, Cecil, 1879-1918

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Gladstonian Ghosts" by Cecil Chesterton is a political critique written in the early 20th century. This work examines the decline of Liberalism in Britain, particularly through the lens of the political landscape shaped by figures like William Ewart Gladstone. Chesterton critiques the Liberal party's failures and its inability to address pressing social and economic reforms, arguing that its foundations have become outdated and ineffective in addressing the needs of contemporary society. At the start of the work, Chesterton sets the stage by addressing a dedication to a friend, Edgar Jepson, and outlining his intentions regarding the political critique. He discusses key issues, emphasizing the burden of Liberal policies that have historically favored the upper classes while leaving serious social concerns, such as poverty and industrial abuses, unaddressed. Through various references to political events and ideologies, Chesterton encapsulates his argument that the party has lost its philosophical grounding, leading to consequences detrimental to the overall cause of social progress. This opening establishes a strong political stance, urging readers to reconsider the historical significance and current relevance of Liberalism in British politics. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

Dedication - Liberalism and the zeitgeist - "What portion have we in David?" - National Penrhynism - "Militarism and aggression" - The fetish of free trade - Towards anarchism - Our British Moslems - "Retrenchment and reform" - Social reconstruction - Some materials and a possibility.

Credits:

Benjamin Fluehr, Tim Lindell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 54.7 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.

Release date is 2021-07-24