Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by js8 2892 days ago
"The 19th-century liberals reformed the workplace and changed capitalism to save it."

This made me laugh. Which liberals? Karl Marx?

4 comments

Many of the famous 19th century liberal industrialists that dramatically improved worker conditions for the period. Remarkably different to the attitudes of companies and directors today. For instance...

William Lever, founder of Lever Brothers (now Unilever) famously created Port Sunlight village to house workers and ensure a healthy and happy workforce.

He personally led the planning and building of the village. Hundreds of houses (beautiful houses in a lovely setting, even today) were built. Along with those the village had a free hospital, schools, a concert hall, open air swimming pool, church, and an art gallery (and bought art to put in it). He also introduced welfare and free education for workers and their families.

There were many others. Modern day executives could learn a lot.

Joseph Rowntree is the first name that comes into my head as a 19th-century liberal active in reforming the workplace.
Otto von Bismark.
Classical liberals were pro-free-market.