Explain how the theme of social responsibility is presented in J.B. Priestley's 'Inspector Calls'

The theme of social responsibility is deeply embedded within Priestley's 1945 play which is set in 1902. Priestley uses the figure of the Inspector as a symbol of moral responsibility as he advocates the necessity to uphold social welfare throughout the play. His socialist attitude is best represented in his assertion that "We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other". Here, Priestley uses the inspector as a literary vehicle to project his own socialist views about responsibility and the need to escalate a sense of equality in an otherwise unequal and divided society. Essentially, the inspector is an extended metaphor for morality as he seeks to evoke a sense of guilt and regret amongst the Birlings. Furthermore, the use of "one body" fits within the semantic field of society. As critic Gareth Lloyd Evans suggests, the inspector is "an embodiment of a collective conscience". This strengthens my point by reinforcing the inspector's ethical role in bringing about a sense of collective recognition of injustice within the Birlings. Moreover, this fits into Priestley's social outlook as he created his own Common Wealth Party which aimed to introduce a sense of 'morality' in politics because he was deeply committed to eradicate social inequality.