Socialism for Soloists

The idea of socialism is making a comeback, particularly among rising generations. Their interest is likely to prove transitory, however, if socialism ignores their yearning for individual autonomy. Why should “soloists” embrace socialism? In this highly original new book, William Edmundson argues that there are compelling reasons for even the most resolute of individualists to embrace socialism. Political equality is incompatible with private ownership of the means of production – which today incorporates not only the highway system, the currency, and the power grid but also platforms like Amazon, Facebook, and Google. Socialism is therefore essential to protect the basic liberal rights and freedoms that underpin our social contract. This pathbreaking defence of liberal democratic socialism will be essential reading not only for all on the left, but also for students and scholars of liberalism, libertarianism, and the social contract.

Acknowledgements Introduction.   What Is This Thing Called “Socialism”? Part One: Getting to Principles of Justice Chapter 1. The Social Contract Chapter 2. Why Economic Inequality?   Chapter 3. How Much Economic Inequality? Chapter 4. How Much Political Equality? Summary of Part One   Part Two: Getting Justice Done Chapter 5. Why Worry about “the Means of Production”? Chapter 6. Getting Real about Political Equality      Chapter 7. The Productivity Club Chapter 8. Managing Public Assets Conclusion.     Summarizing the Soloist Case for Socialism  Afterword