A HOUSE OF THEORY
27
the absence of civilized theorizing can
also
lead in that direction.
It is dangerous to starve the moral imagination of the young. We
require, in addition to our "science," a social analysis which
is
both
detailed .and frank in its moral orientation. A more ambitious concept–
ual picture, thought out anew in the light of modem critical philos–
ophy and our improved knowledge of the world, of the moral
center and moral direction of Socialism would enable those of us
who are not experts to pick up the facts of our situation in a re–
flective, organized and argumentative way: would give us what
Shelley called the power to imagine what we know. Socialist thought
is hampered, and the appeal of Socialism is restricted, because our
technical concepts are highly esoteric and our moral concepts are
excessively simple and there is nothing in between. We need, and
the Left should provide, some refuge from the cold open field of
Benthamite empiricism, a framework, a house of theory.
In response to these ambitious desires it may be coldly argued
that "Socialist theory" was a product of the working-class move–
ment, and that the working-class movement no longer exists, whereas
the trade union movement does; and that it is impossible to call
up moral visions in a situation in which there is no material incentive
to make people lift their eyes to the hills. Further, it
will
be
said
that a perfectly good Socialist theory of a down-to-earth kind does
exist and indeed fills many volumes. Those who
ask
for information
about Socialism are not left unanswered; what more is required?
If
it
is
a "philosophy" that is wanted, that can hardly be produced
on the spur of the moment and would in any case be itself some–
thing esoteric and technical.
It is doubtless true in a sense that the working-class movement
as a dynamic theory-generating body with immediate objectives does
not at present exist. There is less appetite for ideas. Education is
no longer seen as the road to freedom;
it
is seen as the road
to
a
higher salary. However, the working class exists, and with it many
of the ills of capitalist society which were a scandal to our fore–
fathers, and a large body of increasingly vague but loyal Socialist
opinion exists, too. The question must be continually asked: how
are we to keep
thought
about Socialism and
moral concern
about
Socialism alive in a Welfare State? Spiritual unrest and even decisive
moral reactions are not lacking. "Public opinion" is the name of
