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The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth: As Revealed in the Writings of Gerrard Winstanley, the Digger, Mystic and Rationalist, Communist and Social Reformer
What is known in history as the Reformation is one of those monuments in the history of the development of the human mind betokening its entry into new territory. Fundamental conceptions and beliefs cosmological physical ethical or political once firmly established change but slowly; the universal tendency is tenaciously to cling to them despite all evidence to the contrary.' (Excerpt from Chapter 1)
- GenresHistory
Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 24, 2014
The more Winstanley I read, the harder it is to accept that his voice has been so ignored. This guy makes a compelling case for economic justice, respecting law, nature, history and christianity. Winstanley's premises include:
1) Government and Citizenship must issue from Christian principles.
2) Christ manifests in individuals who apply the Golden Rule.
3) All are children are God, and are therefore equally entitled to His inheritance - the Earth.
4) The English hierarchy of ownership is a remnant of the Norman conquest, and hence
5) There is no legal (Parliamentary) basis for rents and enclosures.
6) The Biblical original sin is covetousness, rather than knowledge.
7) "Buying and selling" is the source of all of society's ills.
8) All defensible protest and reform must be non-violent.
9) There is no place for idleness in an enlightened Commonwealth.
Not much is known of Winstanley's life. His writings suggest that he was cheated or tricked out of whatever wealth he may have had as a young man in London. By the time he began writing, in the 1640's, he was a rural tradesman. He was among the Diggers who began planting on the Commons at St. George's Hill, in violation of civil law, on the grounds that, as nominal English Freemen, they had the right to do so, contradictory to the laws that persisted from the Norman Conquest and the rule of Charles I. Of course, they were quickly suppressed and removed from the Hill, but Winstanley continued to write.
I feel certain that anyone who would be curious to read modern work on economic justice will be richly rewarded for having a look at the political and religious thought of Gerrard Winstanley. His writing recalls the Biblical James, and anticipates Locke, King and Gandhi, to name just a few.
This book is available on Kindle. It was free the day I downloaded it; I don't know if it's always free.
1) Government and Citizenship must issue from Christian principles.
2) Christ manifests in individuals who apply the Golden Rule.
3) All are children are God, and are therefore equally entitled to His inheritance - the Earth.
4) The English hierarchy of ownership is a remnant of the Norman conquest, and hence
5) There is no legal (Parliamentary) basis for rents and enclosures.
6) The Biblical original sin is covetousness, rather than knowledge.
7) "Buying and selling" is the source of all of society's ills.
8) All defensible protest and reform must be non-violent.
9) There is no place for idleness in an enlightened Commonwealth.
Not much is known of Winstanley's life. His writings suggest that he was cheated or tricked out of whatever wealth he may have had as a young man in London. By the time he began writing, in the 1640's, he was a rural tradesman. He was among the Diggers who began planting on the Commons at St. George's Hill, in violation of civil law, on the grounds that, as nominal English Freemen, they had the right to do so, contradictory to the laws that persisted from the Norman Conquest and the rule of Charles I. Of course, they were quickly suppressed and removed from the Hill, but Winstanley continued to write.
I feel certain that anyone who would be curious to read modern work on economic justice will be richly rewarded for having a look at the political and religious thought of Gerrard Winstanley. His writing recalls the Biblical James, and anticipates Locke, King and Gandhi, to name just a few.
This book is available on Kindle. It was free the day I downloaded it; I don't know if it's always free.
October 26, 2016
A fascinating introduction to Gerrard Winstanley's life, times and politics. In particular a good explanation of the context of his writings, and the book has an excellent selection from these. Full review online here: http://resolutereader.blogspot.co.uk/...
July 14, 2014
I don't know that this was such an amazingly written book (can't remember, it's been years) but I was so interested in the topic that I devoured it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews