Fabian Society

The Fabian Society
AbbreviationFS
Formation4 January 1884; 140 years ago (1884-01-04)
Legal statusUnincorporated membership association
Purpose"To promote greater equality of power, wealth and opportunity; the value of collective action and public service; an accountable, tolerant and active democracy; citizenship, liberty and human rights; sustainable development; and multilateral international cooperation"
HeadquartersLondon, England
Location
Membership
8,000
Official language
English
Interim General Secretary
Luke Raikes
Chair
Sonia Adesara
Vice-Chairs
Luke John Davies
Treasurer
Paul Richards
Main organ
Executive Committee
SubsidiariesYoung Fabians, Fabian Women's Network, Scottish Fabians, around 60 local Fabian Societies
AffiliationsLabour Party, Foundation for European Progressive Studies
Websitefabians.org.uk

The Fabian Society is a British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of social democracy and democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in democracies, rather than by revolutionary overthrow.[1][2] The Fabian Society was also historically related to some of the furthest left factions of radicalism, a left-wing liberal tradition.[3][4][5]

As one of the founding organisations of the Labour Representation Committee in 1900, and as an important influence upon the Labour Party which grew from it, the Fabian Society has had a powerful influence on British politics. Members of the Fabian Society have included political leaders from other countries, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, who adopted Fabian principles as part of their own political ideologies. The Fabian Society founded the London School of Economics in 1895.

Today, the society functions primarily as a think tank and is one of twenty socialist societies affiliated with the Labour Party. Similar societies exist in Australia, in Canada, in New Zealand, and in Sicily.

  1. ^ Thomson, George (1 March 1976). "The Tindemans Report and the European Future" (PDF).
  2. ^ Cole, Margaret (1961). The Story of Fabian Socialism. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0804700917.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference radical1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference radical2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference radical3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).