In this introduction to the subject, the author argues that the contradictions within socialism arise from the absence of a single socialist tradition - despite Marxist attempts to claim the title of the "true" socialism. Rather than seeking to reconcile socialist differences in an all-embracing unity, it is important to recognize the diversity of socialism. Disagreement and tensions within the socialist movement can then be accepted as the subject matter of different kinds of socialism, each of which may be more or less plausible, appropriate, or desirable. The volume develops this theme through an analysis of socialist ideas and movements, revealing how socialists have differed fundamentally about both the nature of socialism and the means of its achievement.
