
NOT GUILTY: - A DEFENCE OF THE BOTTOM DOG
By Robert Blatchford
NEW YORK: BONI AND LIVERIGHT: 1918
THE AUTHOR'S APOLOGY
CHAPTER ONE—THE LAWS OF GOD
CHAPTER TWO—THE LAWS OF MAN
CHAPTER THREE—WHERE DO OUR NATURES COME FROM?
CHAPTER FOUR—THE BEGINNINGS OF MORALS - |WHAT do we mean by the words "sin" and "vice," and "crime"?
CHAPTER FIVE—THE ANCESTRAL STRUGGLE WITHIN US
CHAPTER SIX—ENVIRONMENT - |WHAT is environment?
In this unapologetically plain‑spoken work, the author turns his attention to those society routinely brands as the “bottom dogs”—the poor, the outcast, the condemned. He argues that conventional ideas of good and evil, reward and punishment, are more about power than truth, and that our religious and legal systems often reinforce injustice. Drawing on everyday experience rather than academic jargon, he invites listeners to reconsider how we classify fortune and misfortune.
The book challenges readers to replace blame with pity, punishment with assistance, and to see every human being as deserving of compassion. By exposing the hidden biases behind law, faith, and popular opinion, it offers a fresh moral framework that could reshape how we treat the most vulnerable. Listeners will find a thoughtful, heartfelt plea that asks us to look beyond fear and prejudice toward a more humane society.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (365K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by David Widger
Release date
2013-08-14
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1851–1943
A pioneering British socialist journalist and bestselling writer, he brought political ideas to a huge popular audience in clear, everyday language. His work helped shape late Victorian and early 20th-century debates about class, reform, and social justice.
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