Thomas Spence

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Thomas Spence (born June 21, 1750 in Newcastle-on-Tyne , England , † September 8, 1814 in London ) was an English author who campaigned for the socialization of property . He advocated using the resulting rental income for government spending and a basic income .

Life

Thomas Spence was a street seller of books at a young age, including works by his contemporary Thomas Paine and pamphlets he had written himself . In these writings he advocated the nationalization of property early on, for example in The Real Rights of Man in 1775.

After moving to England in 1792, one of his most influential pamphlets, The Meridian Sun of Liberty , was published there in 1793 , which was later reissued in 1795 and 1882 under the title The Nationalization of the Land . The German translation of this document is Das Gemeineigentum am Boden ( Lit .: Spence 1974).

Also in 1793 he began to publish the magazine Pig's Meat (Eng .: pork). The following year he was arrested without charge for six months and detained in Newgate Prison . He was accused of defamation of his writings that was dangerous to the state. He was detained for an additional twelve months in 1801 on the same charge.

Services

Thomas Spence was one of the first agitators for equality between women and men. More attention was paid to his commitment to a basic income from land leases. In many of his writings he called for the ownership of land to be transferred to the communities. This should auction the rights of use and make the community expenses from the income. The remaining money should be used to make a payment to all residents, with each resident receiving an equal amount, regardless of gender, age, social status or wealth. He justified this demand with his view that every person has a basic right on the ground, which morally belongs to all residents. Unlike Thomas Paine , who promoted a similar proposal, Thomas Spence provided for a regular payout.

After his death, his ideas were still represented by the Spencean Philanthropists ( Spence'sche Philanthropists). This small political group was disbanded as early as 1820 after some of its supporters were hanged for the failed Cato conspiracy in which British ministers were to be murdered.

See also: Land reform

Works

  • Common property on the ground . Reprint d. Ed. Leipzig 1904, Auvermann, Glashütten im Taunus, 1974.

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Spence, Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English journalist and author who advocated the socialization of property
DATE OF BIRTH June 21, 1750
PLACE OF BIRTH Newcastle-on-Tyne , England
DATE OF DEATH September 8, 1814
Place of death London