What William Morris thinks about politics
English designer, writer and socialist (1834 to 1896); author of Signs of Change.
William Morris did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
Filter politics · Newest first
Only William Morris on politics. See everyone on politics
3 dated positions, c. 1883–1888, in their own words. Our reading of what William Morris has said — not written or endorsed by them.
-
Our readingSocialists’ work lies outside Parliament, in educating the people to know, take and use their own
Their wordsI say that our work lies quite outside Parliament, and it is to help to educate the people by every and any means that may be effective; and the knowledge we have to help them to is threefold—to know their own, to know how to take their own, and to know how to use their own.
↗Signs of Change: Seven Lectures (1888; 1896 edition)gutenberg.org All 20 from this book
-
Our readingIt seems impossible for the destruction of privilege to stop short of absolute equality of condition
Their wordsIt is impossible to see how destruction of privilege can stop short of absolute equality of condition; pure Communism is the logical deduction from the imperfect form of the new society, which is generally differentiated from it as Socialism.
↗Signs of Change: Seven Lectures (1888; 1896 edition)gutenberg.org All 20 from this book
-
Their wordsThey propose to themselves the impossible problem of raising the inferior or exploited classes into a position in which they will cease to struggle against the superior classes, while the latter will not cease to exploit them.
↗Signs of Change: Seven Lectures (1888; 1896 edition)gutenberg.org All 20 from this book