The Project Gutenberg eBook, Mediaeval Socialism, by Bede Jarrett

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Title: Mediaeval Socialism

Author: Bede Jarrett

Release Date: October 4, 2006 [eBook #19468]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEDIAEVAL SOCIALISM***

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MEDIAEVAL SOCIALISM

by

BEDE JARRETT, O.P., M.A.

[Illustration: Logo]

London: T. C. & E. C. Jack
67 Long Acre, W.C., and Edinburgh
New York: Dodge Publishing Co.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. INTRODUCTION 5

II. SOCIAL CONDITIONS 17

III. THE COMMUNISTS 29

IV. THE SCHOOLMEN 41

V. THE LAWYERS 55

VI. THE SOCIAL REFORMERS 68

VII. THE THEORY OF ALMS-GIVING 80

BIBLIOGRAPHY 91

INDEX 93

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 dependent
almost wholly on modern conditions. It is an economic theory which has
been evolved under pressure of circumstances which are admittedly of no
very long standing. How then, it may be asked, is it possible to find
any real correspondence between theories of old time and those which
have grown out of present-day conditions of life? Surely whatever
analogy may be drawn between them must be based on likenesses which
cannot be more than superficial.

The point of view implied in this question is being increasingly adopted
by all scientific students of social and political opinions, and is most
cert