''The Middle Way: A Study of the Problems of Economic and Social Progress in a Free and Democratic Society'' is a book on political philosophy written by
Harold Macmillan (British
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
politician and later
prime minister of the United Kingdom
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern ...
). It was originally published in 1938 (by Macmillan & Co, Ltd, London). It advocated a broadly
centrist
Centrism is a political outlook or position involving acceptance or support of a balance of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy while opposing political changes that would result in a significant shift of society strongly to Left-w ...
approach to the domestic and international problems of that time, and was written during a period when Macmillan was out of active office. He called for a programme of nationalisation at least as ambitious as then advocated by the
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom that has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists. The Labour Party sits on the centre-left of the political spectrum. In all gen ...
.
Content
It is subtitled 'A Study of the Problems of Economic and Social Progress in a Free and Democratic Society' and is divided into 3 main sections
* Part 1 The Needs
:Ch I The Emergence of a New Doctrine
:Ch II Life and Liberty
:Ch III The End of Radical Reformism
:Ch IV Minimum Needs and Present Incomes
:Ch V Present Methods of Distribution
:Ch VI What Has to be Done
*Part 2 The Methods
:Ch VII Past Theories and Present Needs
:Ch VIII Public Enterprise & Private Combination
:Ch IX The Aims of Economic Policy in the Future
:Ch X Industrial Reconstruction
:Ch XI Finance
:Ch XII Foreign Trade
:Ch XIII Co-ordination
*Part 3 The Benefits
:Ch XIV The Minimum Wage
:Ch XV A Minimum for the Unemployed
:Ch XVI Public Utility Distribution
:Ch XVII Economic Security
:Ch XVII Freedom & Progress
See also
*
Third Way
The Third Way is a centrist political position that attempts to reconcile right-wing and left-wing politics by advocating a varying synthesis of centre-right economic policies with centre-left social policies. The Third Way was born from ...
References
*Macmillan H (1978) ''The Middle Way'', EP Publishing Ltd.
1938 non-fiction books
Books in political philosophy
Books by Harold Macmillan
Books written by prime ministers of the United Kingdom
Random House books
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