Was Keynes a socialist?

Edward W Fuller

Cambridge Journal of Economics, 2019, vol. 43, issue 6, 1653-1682

Abstract: This paper addresses the controversy over Keynes’s political thought. Robert Skidelsky portrays Keynes as a liberal who wanted to save capitalism. By contrast, Rod O’Donnell argues Keynes was a socialist. This paper presents unexplored evidence that shows Keynes was a non-Marxist socialist from 1907 until his death in 1946. First, the paper demonstrates that Keynes described himself as a socialist and aligned himself with socialism. Next, the paper shows Keynes can be defined as a socialist because he advocated socialist policy. Finally, the paper discusses Keynes’s socialist political and journalistic activities. Keynes was a non-Marxist socialist, meaning Skidelsky has misinterpreted Keynes’s political philosophy.

Keywords: John Maynard Keynes; Socialism; Socialised investment; Robert Skidelsky; Rod O’Donnell (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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