Were the Levellers what we would now call Socialists?

[BPSocialist]

Would the levellers be called socialists if they were around today?

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

This goes in history.

[RedAnarchist]

Moved.

[BPSocialist]

This was in history, wasn't it?

[RedAnarchist]

No, it was in Theory.

[Vendetta]

Anyway, maybe. Religious socialists at the least, imo.

[BPSocialist]

No, it was in Theory.

Sorry, must've clicked on th wrong forum.

[ComradeOm]

Would the levellers be called socialists if they were around today?The problem here is with the question itself. If the Levellers were around today then they would not be Levellers!

There are some aspects of Leveller philosophy that could be considered socialist (although I'd argue that most of it was liberal and progressive rather than socialist per se) and certainly the True Levellers (Diggers) maintained an anti-property stance. But to label these broad movements as 'socialist', a political term that itself only emerged some two centuries later, is far too simplistic and inaccurate. The best you might say is that they were proto-socialist

[Yehuda Stern]

I think the Levellers played the same role as Babeuf in the French revolution: they expressed the interests of the working class well in advance of the historical stage where they could be clearly formulated.

[BPSocialist]

Who are the Babeuf?

[Vahanian]

Babeuf was a politcal writer during the french revolution

(sorry i cant link anything but i dont have enough posts ):blushing:

[BPSocialist]

That's alright comrade, I'll look them up myself, thanks.:)

[Yehuda Stern]

Gracchus Babeuf was a French revolutionary. He criticized the French revolution for not advancing enough the working poor and built a small group around revolutionary proletarian ideas. He was murdered by the Directory for challenging it politically from the left. The Levellers suffered a familiar fate at Cromwell's hands (Banburry mutiny), and there was a similar uprising of American workers in the American revolution too.

[Raúl Duke]

there was a similar uprising of American workers in the American revolution too.

Are you referring to Shay's rebellion or something else?

[Yehuda Stern]

Perhaps, though I see that Shays' rebellion was led by farmers, not workers. I may have been wrong about the class character of the rebels, but I may also be referring to something else. I don't quite remember.

[iraqnevercalledmenigger]

There is a decent article by CLR James on Cromwell and the Levellers on the Marxist internet archive called. No link posting abilities :( It's called "Cromwell and the Levellers"

[PRC-UTE]

Perhaps, though I see that Shays' rebellion was led by farmers, not workers. I may have been wrong about the class character of the rebels, but I may also be referring to something else. I don't quite remember.

Bacon's Rebellion maybe

comrades, here's a history of the Levellers and their relationship with Ireland that some may find interesting http://irsm.org/history/levellers.html