Why I Am a Socialist - By Norman Thomas

Sep 21, 2026

A 1928 socialist manifesto by Norman Thomas explaining why he identifies as a socialist. The text argues that socialism offers the best hope to abolish poverty and the insecurity of workers, reduce the menace of war, and expand freedom and fraternity through a comparatively peaceful path. It challenges Marxian orthodoxy while drawing a political moral from modern technical progress, emphasizing how advanced productive power should make poverty inexcusable yet still persists due to unequal distribution and social conditions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Why I Am a Socialist

Technical Progress Makes Poverty Inexcusable

97-84203-22Thomas,Norman Why I am a socialist New York # COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIESPRESERVATION DIVISION BIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET ORIGINAL MATERIAL AS FILMED-EXISTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD 308 Z Box 855 Thomas,Norman.Mattoon,1384-· l.hy I an a socialist.New York,Ieague forInciustrial Democracy,1928.l]p.(I.I.D.Iealct no.4) "Reprinted from the Frinceton alumni weekly." 1.Socialisn. 中í:) RESTRICTIONS ON USE: Reproductions may not be made without permission from Columbia UniversityLibraries # TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA FILM SIZE: mmBEDUCTION BATIO: 9./ IMAGE PLACEMENT:IA IIAIB IIB DATE FILMED:ID-1-9十 INITIALS:业 TRA CKING\#: 28342 FILMED BY PRESERVATION RESOURCES,BETHLEHEM,PA. 55 NormanThomas WHyI AMA SocIALIST L.I.D.Leaflet No.4By Norman ThomasExecutive Director,League for Industrial DemocracySocialist Candidate for President,1928——Reprinted from the Princeton Alumni Weekly08Box855Copyright by # Why I Am a Socialist The League for Industrial Democracy70 Fifth Ave.,New York City1928 57505D Why I Am a Socialist BY NORMAN THOMAS OME years ago the esteemed Princetonian,if memory,serves me,referred to me as"Princeton's most distinguished Socialist."It must be admitted that there is not veryheavy competition in the class.And I supposethat the Editor of the Aluenni Weekly is war-ranted in a certain curiosity as to the reasonswhy one who had the good fortune to be bornin no less a town than Marion,Ohio,to haveknown the eminent Warren·Gamaliel Harding,and later to have sat at the feet of WoodrowWilson in Princeton itself,should have wanderedso far from the fold.Well,even in an age ofconfessional literature,of tabloid_psychologistsand psycho-analytic biographers,I must disap-point the Editor,the readers,and a possibly palpi-tant psychological department of the Universityby acknowledging my inability to reveal thosehidden springs of action which turned a more orless reputable clergyman into a Socialist. Likewise must I disappoint the Department ofEconomics by telling its learned professors atthe very beginning that I shall not furnish themwith arguments in behalf of the Marxian theoryof value and surplus value and other points ofthe pure Marxian word for them to attack tothe edification of future bond salesmen innocentof first-hand acquaintance with any of Marx'svoluminous worksI am too much an admirerof the real services of Karl Marx to want tohonor him by a theological orthodoxy which,totell the truth,I have never professed. To give a blunt answer to the question where-with this article begins,I am a Socialist becausein our modern world it seems to me that Soci-alism affords our best hope of utilizing our im-mense resources of material and skill so as toabolish poverty and the terrible insecurity of theworkers,reduce the menace of war,and increasethe measure of freedom and fraternity in ourworld.Socialism,as I hope to make clear,is noinfallible panacea,but it does afford our besthope of comparatively peaceful progress towardthat fellowship of free men which is the onlyUtopia worth while.Socialism may proposechanges that may correctly be called revolution-ary.Yet the more widespread is the acceptanceof its point of view,the more likely are we to escape that violence which heretofore has popu-larly been associated with the notion ofrevolution. HEC 1955 # Technical Progress Makes PovertyInexcusable Let us begin by examining the situation inwhich we find ourself.However much we maydiffer on many things we shall probably agreethat only today,or yesterday at the earliest,after the long millenniums of man's life on thisplanet,has he acquired the technical skill,thecommand over the forces of nature,the physicalpower to produce enough and to spare for allhis children upon the face of the earth.Fromthe first dawn of human life pove

FAQs

Why does Norman Thomas say he is a socialist?

He argues that socialism is the best hope for using modern material and skill to abolish poverty, reduce war, and increase freedom and fraternity.

Does Thomas claim socialism is an infallible solution?

No. He says socialism is not an infallible panacea, but it can support comparatively peaceful progress toward fellowship among free men.

According to the document, why is poverty still not abolished despite modern technical power?

It suggests that unequal distribution and the persistence of social arrangements keep poverty from being eliminated even when society has enough productive energy.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Lucas Martin