T.H. Green, Advanced Liberalism and the Reform Question, 1865-1876

Tyler, Colin

Abstract

This paper examines Thomas Hill Green's changing attitude to the Reform Question between 1865 and 1876. Section 1 sketches the Radical landscape against which Green advocated reform between 1866 and 1867, paying particular attention to the respective positions of Gladstone, J.S. Mill and Bright on the relationship between responsible citizenship and class membership. Section 2 examines Green's theories of social balance and responsible citizenship at the time of his lectures on the English Civil War. Section 3 argues that, contrary to the established scholarship, Green's Radicalism was closer to Bright than to Gladstone and Mill during this period. Section 4 counters Richter's claim that Green abandoned democracy following the 1874 General Election, while arguing that even sympathetic commentators misunderstand Green's attitude to the Reform Question immediately after this date.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2003-12
• Journal: History of European Ideas
• Print ISSN: 0191-6599
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-541X
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 437-458
• APA6 Citation: Tyler, C. (2003). T.H. Green, Advanced Liberalism and the Reform Question, 1865-1876. History of European ideas, 29(4), (437-458). doi:10.1016/j.histeuroideas.2003.08.001. ISSN 0191-6599
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.histeuroideas.2003.08.001
• Keywords: T.H. Green; British Idealism; Reform; Franchise; Citizenship; Radicalism; Liberalism; J.S. Mill; John Bright; William Gladstone
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1016/j.histeuroideas.2003.08.001