Table of Contents

Preface; List of abbreviations; Introduction; Part I. The Literary and Artistic Origins of Fabian Socialism: 1. Thomas Davidson, the new life fellowship and the earliest Fabians; 2. The young Webbs: towards a socialist partnership; 3. Three Fabians essayists and William Morris; 4. Bernard Shaw; Part ii. Art, Austerity and Pleasure in Fabian Socialism: 5. The Webb partnership: the practice of renunciation; 6. The Fabians as anti-ascetics; 7. Powerhouse or club?: artistic activities of the Fabian Society; 8. Platform or playhouse?: Fabian lecturing on the arts and the arts of Fabian lecturing; Part III. Fabianism, Elitism and Popular Culture: 9. Fabian attitudes to working-class culture; 10. Fabians, art and democracy; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

Promotional Information

One of the basic aims of the book is to question this bleakly philistine image, by showing the basis of the Fabians' beliefs in romancism as well as utilitarianism.