Comrade Francis D. Tandy has written, and will publish about the first of April, a book entitled Voluntary Socialism, in which he will present a complete outline of the philosophy of Anarchism. The scope of the work may be measured from the following synopsis.
Preface—Introduction, dealing with study of Social Science.
Chapter 1 is devoted to evolution and contains a brief outline of the nebular hypothesis and Darwinian theory.
Chapter 2 is devoted to Egoism.
In it the author attempts to demonstrate that all actions are the result of attempts on the part of an organism to place itself in harmony with its environments, and this is suggested as the basis of ethics.
Chapter 3 deals with the development and nature of the State, showing that all progress has been made by curtailing the powers of the State and enlarging the liberty of the individual.
Chapter 4 compares the conclusions reached in the previous chapters, and from them deduces the Spencerian law of equal freedom; suggesting a few deductions from this law, it is shown that it ultimately demands the entire abolition of the State.
Chapter 5 deals with the possibility of defending person and property without state interference.
Chapter 6 is devoted to an analysis of value according to the marginal utility theory of Boehm-Bawerk. It also deals with the Marxian theory of surplus value, showing that all our economic ills are due to the existence of that surplus value.
Chapter 7 contains general considerations in regard to the nature and functions of money, and an analysis of interest.
Chapter 8 suggests as a solution to the money question the Mutual Bank of Issue, outlined by Greene, which is practically the same as Proudhon’s Bank of Exchange.
Chapter 9 deals with the land question. In it the author demands the entire abolition of all paper titles to land, and claims that occupancy and use should constitute the sole title. Incidentally, he criticises the Single Tax theory and the position taken by Herbert Spencer in Justice.
Chapter 10 deals with special privileges, principally patents and copyrights; showing that they are forms of monopoly that must be abolished.
Chapter 11 contains an analysis of profit, which, it is claimed, depends for its existence principally upon rent and interest, and, when these two factors are eliminated and special privileges are repealed, will cease to exist, surplus value becoming a thing of the past.
Chapter 12 is devoted to the question of transportation, showing that private enterprise will be perfectly capable of dealing with this problem, as soon as free competition is made possible by the reforms suggested in the previous chapters.
Chapter 13 contains a discussion of the various methods of accomplishing reform. It points out the evils of revolution, terrorism, and political methods, and shows that education and passive resistance are the most successful methods.
Chapter 14 treats of the project of the accomplishment of the reforms set forth. It repudiates the claims of the State Socialists that collectivism is inevitable, and shows that the ultimate attainment of the author’s ideas is not as improbable as is often supposed.
The book is followed by a suggestive bibliography of works which will be of value to those who wish to study the question more deeply. It also contains a complete index.
Simplicity of style and directness of language have been aimed at throughout, so as to make this an elementary book, within the mental grasp of all who are at all familiar with modern reform ideas.
It will be printed from good clear type, on a fine quality of paper, and bound in vellum cloth.
Price, $1.00.