The social market, unlike Marxism or Fascism, is not an ideology in the sense of presenting a set of beliefs that stand together or fall together. Rather, it is a way of looking at the world. It is compatible with a wide range of individual political viewpoints, though not with all political viewpoint
The Social Market and its Enemies: A new philosophy for Brown? explores the origins of the social market; how the social market view of the world has evolved since the foundation of the SMF; the enemies of the social market; and the characteristics that distinguish social marketeers.
This essay argues that one of the great virtues of market economies is their adaptability. They can accommodate large economic, social or technological changes without fracturing. Much the same is true of the theory of political economy known as the ‘social market’. Indeed, more than half a century after its emergence as Europe’s dominant social philosophy, its bounds have extended and its intellectual grip is as strong as ever.