Charles fourier biography
•
- This article is about the French utopian socialist. For the mathematician and physicist, see Joseph Fourier.
François Marie Charles Fourier (April 7, 1772 – October 10, 1837) was a Frenchutopiansocialist and philosopher who advocated a reconstruction of society based on idea that the natural passions of man would, if properly channeled, result in social harmony. He believed that he had discovered the laws of social interaction, comparable to Newton’s laws of physical interaction. Fourier identified twelve fundamental human passions: five of the senses (touch, taste, hearing, sight and smell); four of the soul (friendship, love, ambition and parenthood); and three that he called “distributive,” which ensured the balance of all the others.
Fourier envisioned a society organized in units called “phalanxes” composed of male and female representatives of 810 personality types, in which natural interaction would automatically result in peace an
•
Charles Fourier Archive
“Equality of rights is another chimera, praiseworthy when considered in the abstract and ridiculous from the standpoint of the means employed to introduce it in civilisation. The first right of men is the right to work and the right to a minimum [income]. This is precisely what has gone unrecognised in all the constitutions. Their primary concern is with favoured individuals who are not in need of work.”
Biography.
Most of Fourier’s mansucripts were published only after his death and the date on which they were written is unknown. His first book was the 400-page Théorie des Quatre Mouvements, published in 1808, and Fourier sent copies to members of the nobility and bankers. The 1400-page Traité de l’association domestique-agricole was published in 1822, later republished as Théorie de l’unité universelle. Le Nouveau Monde Industriel et Sociétaire was published in 1829, and each of these publis
•
Charles Fourier
1772-1837
Socialist philosopher
Sources
Plans for the Future During the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries many visionary dock and women desired to change the political and social structures of their world. Reformers who believed they could chart the future course of kultur by employing reason and scientific övervakning called themselves socialists because they were especially interested in engineering new forms of social organization. The core of this movement existed in France, where it was led bygd people such as Claude-Henri de Rouvroy, Comte dem Saint-Simon (1760–1825), Auguste Comte (1798–1857), Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809–1865), and Charles Fourier. Although the founders of the early socialist movements were men, women were particularly attracted to these groups and often became leading voices in their development.
Early Life Charles Fourier was born and raised in the city of Besançon in eastern France. He was the only son, the youngest of fou