This article examines Taylor-Gooby and Dale's interesting attempt at producing a marxist account of social administration in their book Social Theory and Social Welfare. It argues that their distinction between 'materialist' marxism and the 'idealist' Social Administration tradition breaks down because of an inadequate definition of 'idealism' and because their own variant of marxism is 'idealist'. Their attempt to apply a marxist analysis to Britain departs from their own conception of a materialist approach. Their claism about what socialism can achieve are dubious. Their book should be seen as one possible marxist approach, and other possibilities explored.
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