Title page from Fabian Essays in Socialism

Fabian Essays in Socialism

This collection of essays by the so-called “Fabian Socialists” (who advocated socialism by means of gradual political and economic reform instead of by revolution as preferred by the Marxists) prompted a vigorous defense of laissez-faire economic policies by leading English classical liberals in the early 1890s. Two volumes of these rebuttals of Fabian socialism were edited by Thomas Mackay. The 3 volumes together make interesting reading.