Abstract
Colin Tyler presents an informed and well-researched analysis of Thomas H. Green's liberal socialism in this remoulding of his doctoral thesis. Tyler argues that Green has been unfairly characterised by Edwardian and selected subsequent scholars of political thought, who tend to disregard the significance of Green by arguing and advancing positions designed to illustrate a misconceived ‘less than pronounced relevance’ in contemporary thought. This is an oversight that Tyler seeks to remedy by repositioning Green, arguing that his political philosophy demands greater scrutiny and understanding in order to garner more appropriately an enhanced appreciation of Green's significance for political philosophy.
Tyler seeks to argue that Green was a liberal socialist. ‘Liberal’ in the sense that he advocated the responsibilities of the individual towards their own intellectual, temporal and social elevations; ‘socialist’ in the sense of his gravitation towards a role of the state in enabling individual possibility to flourish free of the excessive forces of capitalism. Although it must be noted that Green eschewed the claim that ‘humanity as a single entity can progress’, illustrating his preference for the individual over collective approaches (p. 33).
Although divorced by their ideological contradictions – collectivism vs. individualism – Tyler highlights convergence points that can demonstrate compatibility, commonly eschewed by conventional liberal and socialist intellectual thought. Rather than follow the orthodox bipolarisation of these political strains, Tyler successfully puts forward a case for them to be brought together in this reassessment of Green. Significantly, the areas of convergence point towards social rather than exclusively political means, thus enabling compatibility to occur.
Tyler thus successfully presents a re-evaluation of Green but this book should not be mistaken for an orthodox introduction or restatement of either liberalism or socialism. Rather, it assumes an existing and mature understanding of both on the part of the reader, as the author attempts a more analytical task of deconstructing Green's argument of the eternal consciousness. By utilising Green as an illuminating figure, Tyler adopts a de facto case study approach towards advancing Green's original philosophical intention.
This book will be of particular interest to political philosophers and intellectual progressives seeking to enhance their already mature conceptualisation of liberalism and/or socialism. It is this group of academics to whom this book should be recommended. It may also be of use to those seeking a greater, broader intellectual appreciation of political philosophy more generally.