Suchergebnisse

© 2021 The Social History Society. From the middle of the nineteenth-century, representatives of radical and labour agitations in Britain sough to embed themselves in an older democratic precedent. Referring back to these established narratives, Communist authors of the Popular Front period laid the foundations for the revival of an English radical tradition that proved formative for a generation of historians who saw themselves as custodians of the radical past. Outlining the radical approach to the British historical past and its emphasis on Englishness, this article considers the development of and approaches to a radical past and the traditions and personalities that were integrated into a usable radical lineage.

In the articles that follow, both writers make arguments inviting us to think about why this interest has arisen, and how it might be understood. Tony Taylor argues from an activist professional perspective for the primacy of politics as the lens through which to understand the issue. Approaching the problem as a moral philosopher, Sarah Banks offers analysis and commentary rather than direct counterargument, suggesting that: 'The challenge is not to divert attention from ethics to politics, but rather to promote a radical ethics that also acknowledges the connection with politics.'