ABSTRACT
In East End 1888 Bill Fishman gives a kind of "looking back in anger" account of what the practice of this evolutionary utilitarian religion actually looks like. Peter Kropotkin wanted to develop an ethical foundation for anarchism as a form of libertarian socialism. Fishman was always ready to defend the role of philanthropists against those who sought to denigrate the important contribution of the "company of saints, armed with the Bible and bread basket" to promoting social justice and helping the poor. Fishman's contribution to defining a broadly based and inclusive tradition of a libertarian socialism, had room for the Christian socialism of an Anglican Bishop and the anarchism of Prince Kropotkin as well as the various libertarian strands of the British Labour movement. Fishman saw the practice of rachamones as being central to his libertarian socialism. The related idea of tzedakah also plays a key role in the ethical framework which structures his libertarian socialism.
