Was Keynes a socialist?

Abstract

AbstractThis paper addresses the controversy over Keynes’s political thought. Robert Skidelsky portrays Keynes as a liberal who wanted to save capitalism. By contrast, Rod O’Donnell argues Keynes was a socialist. This paper presents unexplored evidence that shows Keynes was a non-Marxist socialist from 1907 until his death in 1946. First, the paper demonstrates that Keynes described himself as a socialist and aligned himself with socialism. Next, the paper shows Keynes can be defined as a socialist because he advocated socialist policy. Finally, the paper discusses Keynes’s socialist political and journalistic activities. Keynes was a non-Marxist socialist, meaning Skidelsky has misinterpreted Keynes’s political philosophy.