IL SOCIAL REFORM MOVEMENTS BEFORE YRS COMMERCIAL REVOLUTION.
Though it was not the first social reform program, the earliest scheme for social recon struction which has remained a classic through the ages was the 'Republic' of Plato. Here was proposed a society resting fundamentally upon a social division of labor, being physically perfected by an elaborate plan of eugenics, and governed by the wisest members of the com munity. But even Plato recognized the futility of hoping for the adoption of so rational a social system, and it was marred by another serious defect beyond its utopian flavor on ac count of the fact that it was designed to apply only to the upper classes; the others would, it was hoped, be reduced to a still more severe and permanent state of subjection. The Gracchi brothers made an attempt to check the growing power of the Roman plutocracy, but the vested interests proved too strong for their efforts. The Apostolic Christians, living in the hope of an imminent return of Christ, developed com munistic tendencies and doctrines, but the spe cial circumstances under which they were con ceived prevented them from having any con siderable significance for the history of social reform programs. While the eschatological conception had been somewhat weakened by the time of the later Patristic period, it was still powerful enough to paralyze any social initia tive. The faithful were warned against undue concern over earthly conditions, lest they thereby forfeit entry into the kingdom of heaven. The poor were regarded as a part of
the divine order who existed for the spiritual edification of the rich alms-givers. The Patris tic outlook, coupled with the static nature of the caste system which developed as the social basis of feudalism, and the general backward ness of medieval civilization made the "Mid dle Ages" a period designed to discourage any radical movements in social reform. It should not be forgotten, nevertheless, that the more radical religious movements of the medieval period, associated with the Waldenses, the Al bigenses, the Franciscans and the Lollards, car ried with them a varying degree of revolt against the social and economic conditions as well as the religious institutions and practices of the time. It is probable that of all the medieval programs of social reform the most interesting and progressive was that set forth by Pierre Dubois at the opening of the 14th century in his 'De Recuperatione Terre Sancte,' with which Mr. Powicke has familiarized Eng lish and American readers. Finally, the discus sions of the Conciliar Movement bear, perhaps, some vague relation to the problem of social reform in so far as that is related to the de velopment of representative government.