In Place of Fear is a book written by Aneurin Bevan, founder of the National Health Service. The book was influential among the Labour Left and the Labour movement as a whole but was overshadowed by Anthony Crosland's The Future of Socialism, although Crosland referred to In Place of Fear as "the most widely read socialist book" of the period.[1]
| Author | Aneurin Bevan |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Politics, Socialism |
| Publisher | William Heinemann Ltd |
Publication date | 1952 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
Serving as a semi-autobiographical text[2] Bevan brings to great attention his life growing up in the mining towns of south Wales.
A young miner in a South Wales colliery, my concern was with one practical question, where does power lie in this particular state of Great Britain, and how can it be attained by the workers.[3]
— Aneurin Bevan, In Place of Fear, p. 1
Considered highly quotable[4] and is a central source for the beliefs of the pre-Benn Labour left.
Ideology
editBevan, throughout the book, is a strong advocate for Democratic socialism, the final chapter sharing the ideology's name. He states his belief that Democratic socialism has the only principles 'broadly applicable to the situation in which mankind now finds itself'.[5] By extension of this he advocates for great levels of freedom of speech and expression, opposing concentration of newspaper ownership.[6]
Legacy
editAlthough mostly remembered as an extension of his fight for the Health Service[7] it is also considered to be a statement of what British socialism should be.[8]
References
edit- ^ Crosland, Anthony (1956). The Future of Socialism. Cape. p. 52. ISBN 9780224018883.
- ^ Thorpe, Andrew, A History of the British Labour Party, Red Globe Press, 2015, p. 144
- ^ Bevan, Aneurin (13 March 1952). In Place of Fear. p. 1.
- ^ Davies, Nye (2021). This is My Truth: Aneurin Bevan in Tribune. p. 10.
- ^ Bevan, Aneurin (13 March 1952). In Place of Fear. p. 171.
- ^ Bevan, Aneurin (13 March 1952). In Place of Fear. p. 165.
- ^ Thomas-Symonds, Nick (5 July 2018). "70 years of the NHS: How Aneurin Bevan created our beloved health service | the Independent". The Independent.
- ^ Hamblin, David (10 November 2022). "We Still Need Nye Bevan's Vision of Socialism". Jacobin.