Henry George's Social Activities & The Influence

Henry George was a renowned Amirican social activist and economist at the end of 19th centrury. In his masterpiece"Progress and Poverty", he brought forward the theory of land reform ,namely, only single land-value tax could be collected. After that, he cherished the theory, carrying out a series of social activities and making his conception public, which exerted a significant influence on a number of countries and areas. This article attaches great importance to his lifetime major social acticvities, and the influence they had.The first chapter gives an overview of the research on Henry George both home and abroad. I am fully convinced that most literatures paid too much attention to George as an ecomomist while lost sight of his identity as a social activist. Therefore, this article must have its academic value. On the other hand, this typicle figure's thought and his social activities are fairly meaningful to modern China, which is in her social change phase.The second chapter gives analysis to the guiding ideology of his social activities, including his objection to land privite ownership,single tax theory, social criticism, and free trade. Besides, I analyse this and that subjective and objective factor which caused George's thought from his time,personal experiences, academic origin and religion perspective。The third and fourth chapters are the main body of this article. In the third one, George's social activities of different kinds are explored in accordance with time and category,including those social activities that he did in his early time as a journalist and political publicist; that he publised books and went around to make his thought public; that he was involved in the political campaign because of his speeches, especially those which England partook and American worker's party election; and in the end ,George's dispute with other figures are referred to.George took these activities to make a living at first. But later, he drawed inspiration from them and formulated his"Single Tax"system. What's more, he wrote the masterpiece"Progress and Poverty". In spite of the fact that he tried his best to make his theory public in order to"heal the world"and for that ,he was involved in political campaigns time and time again, he failed to achieve his goal.The fourth chapter sums up the influence of George's social activites from different perpectives. Despite the fact that he failed to widely carry out his theory of single tax, he still exerted a great influnce on varieties of people and groups. His activities were like sensation, encouraging the movement of workers and peasants in Ireland and England, contributing to American workers'movement, and exerting considerable influence on supporters of progressivism. At the same time, his activities made his thought public as a matter of fact. By this, he enlightened some economists. What's more important, his system introduced new social reform into a few countries,which influenced the native tax system and China was no exception. That's why Henry George's impact never ceased in modern life.