Share this pageBy Dan Scales
Green emphasised individual moral duty and valued practical social work over charitable giving or state aid. He was a social liberal who believed that the vote should be extended to working men. As a Professor at Balliol College he also worked to open up scholarships to poorer students. Green believed that the social problems caused by industrialisation could and should be solved by community action. As he put it
Common good dwells in cooperative social life in which we all have a fair share
At Toynbee Hall the Barnetts and their early residents strived to put these principles into practice. To learn more about the ideas of Thomas Hill Green and their relevance to Toynbee Hall read the full booklet here.
