Guild Socialism (GuildSoc) is a left unity to libertarian ideology that advocates for worker ownership of the Means of Production through trade guilds, and that such guilds have "an implied contractual relationship with the public". It originated in the United Kingdom in 1914 with the book "National Guilds: An Inquiry into the Wage System and the Way Out" in wich S. G. Hobson (the author) presents guilds as an alternative to state socialism. Guild socialism believes in democratic workplaces and varies on government types.
History
Guild Socialism took inspiration from the Guild system of the Middle Ages, in which worker-owned guilds played a big role in the economy. Likewise, it criticized the capitalist hierarchy and the wage system, believing that the laborer has no rights under the system, thus calling for a decentralized economy consisting of worker guilds. Likewise it acknowledges the differences of conditions back then and in the present day, mainly in how said industry functions and how town-economies have become all but impossible in the modern day.
What sets Guild Socialism apart from other forms of socialism is how the guildsmen is to maintain the apprehension in the framing of social arrangements, and how the economy would consist of guilds, mainly on the local level but also some on the national level, which would serve to include workers of all areas of whichever sector said guild represents.
Likewise, it criticizes both State Socialism and Syndicalism as leaving open the possibility of tyranny, and likewise G.D.H. Cole believed that the Bolshevik Revolution and Lenin himself “replaced the capitalist state with an equally as coercive state”, as said in his book “Guild Socialism: A Plan For Economic Democracy”.
It also takes elements from both a socialistic market economy and decentral planning, acknowledging markets in the regards to consumer goods, but opposes markets when in regards to civic and essential services, utilizing a communal structure under which guilds serve as a basis for hiring and firing as well as operating under a mostly direct democratic system, though on occasions, a meritocratic and expertise vote would be utilized as well
WIP
How to Draw
- Draw a ball
- Fill it with burgundy
- Draw a red horseshoe with a gold border tilted 45 degrees
- Draw a white arrow coming out of the horseshoe also with a gold outline
- Draw a tic-tac-toe game in gold with a golden star in the top right corner
Color Name | HEX | RGB | |
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Burgundy | #680F0B | 104, 15, 11 | |
Red | #FF0000 | 255, 0, 0 | |
Gold | #FFCB00 | 255, 203, 0 | |
White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 |
Relationships
Friends
- Christian Socialism - Best bud.
- Catholic Workerism - Good friend of mine.
- Agrarian Socialism - My rural counterpart.
- Thalassocracy - Merchant republics were based.
- Castroism - He's a bit stubborn but he's learning my ways.
- Distributism - My religious son who denies being a socialist.
- Market Socialism - The right way to have both markets and equality.
- Conservative Socialism - Yeah, I know I'm a bit old-fashioned too.
- Libertarian Socialism and Libertarian Market Socialism - I too am an enthusiast of a truly decentral and democratic economy.
Frenemies
- Syndicalism - Alright. But unions are kinda lame though.
- State Socialism - Alright. But state control's pretty lame too.
- Council Communism - Alright. But workers' councils are also lame.
- Strasserism - Similar economics but quit it with the Nazi shit.
- Corporatism - Also has similar ideas, but still way to centralized.
- Fabian Socialism - Cole was a Fabien, but why Eugenics?
- Mercantilism - You like guilds too but cool it with the capitalism.
- Reactionary Socialism - Dad's pretty cool but really needs to tone it down.
- Yellow Socialism - He likes some of my ideas but he doesn't like guilds that much.
- Leninism - You know, I agree that the current system should be overthrown for the better, it's just that what you propose shares the same coercion that the current system promotes, and I hate it.
Enemies
- Capitalism - The "democracy" you represent under your systematic rule is merely a facade to hide the fact that in actuality, it's an unfair hierarchy where the laborer is denied his rights shrouded under a false consciousness.
- Neoliberalism - Doesn't like guilds or unions.
- Third Way - Not New Labour, Blue Labour.
- National Socialism - I dont understand what are you?!
- Corporatocracy - He wants to drive us out of business.
- Anarcho-Capitalism - Why dont you wanna join a guild?
- Marxism–Leninism - Your
central plannedcommand economy is pretty cringe. - Anarcho-Communism - Nothing personal but you're very disorganized.
Further Information
Literature
- The Restoration of the Gild System by Arthur Joseph Penty
- A Guildsman’s Interpretation of History. by Arthur J Penty
- Guilds, Trade And Agriculture by Arthur J Penty
- Guild Socialism Re-Stated by G.D.H. Cole
Wikipedia
Online Communities
Gallery
Comments
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