Ghent, William J. (William James) 1866-1942 creator text utu 2016 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "Our Benevolent Feudalism" by William J. Ghent is a social and economic critique written in the early 20th century. The book explores the modern societal structure, likening it to a new form of feudalism where industrial magnates hold power over the working class. The author discusses the implications of this system on various social classes, such as farmers and wage-earners, emphasizing the struggles inherent in their subordination and dependence on the wealthy elite. At the start of the text, Ghent introduces the concept of societal transformation, referencing historical perspectives on social ideals and predictions for the future. He critiques various forecasts of societal evolution, highlighting a shift towards great industrial combinations that concentrate power and wealth among a few—essentially a new feudal order in which common laborers face increasing dependency on the magnates. The opening portion sets the stage for a thorough examination of how this neofeudalism affects various segments of society, including the limitations imposed on farmers and wage earners by industrial consolidation and economic regulations. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Utopias and other forecasts -- Combination and coalescence -- Our magnates -- Our famers and wage-earners -- Our makers of law -- Our moulders of opinion -- General social changes -- Transition and fulfilment. Release date is 2016-09-15 E-text prepared by Craig Kirkwood and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive/American Libraries (https://archive.org/details/americana) Original publication data not identified Working class -- United States United States -- Social conditions -- 1865-1918 Trusts, Industrial United States -- Economic conditions -- 1865-1918 HN Original publication data not identified 02026876 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53052 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53052 UtSlPG 260607 20260610134225.0 53052