LECTURE No. 8. Utopian Socialists

1. Western European utopian socialism

The representatives of Western European socialism-utopianism include such scientists as Claude Henri de Rubroy Saint-Simon, Robert Owen, Charles Fourier.

These scientists largely agree with the classics, for example, that production should be developed as much as possible, as well as new inventions, striving for scientific and technological progress. They tried to build a model of an ideal society in their works. Each of them had their own idea of ​​an ideal society. Their main difference from the classics is that they did not recognize, and sometimes even criticized, private property. They also condemned free competition, because this, in their opinion, is manifested by exploitation, which has the goal of reducing production costs. They denied the possibility of any economic transformation that would lead to a better life. However, they still rely in their writings on the ideas of social justice.

The views of these scientists are similar in many respects, but at the same time they are very different from each other. Saint-Simon and his supporters proposed to unite everyone into one big team. Owen and his followers argued otherwise. According to them, a person should not lose his individuality in a huge team.

2. Economic views of Simon de Sismondi

Jean-Charles-Léonard Simon de Sismondi (1773-1842) - French historian and economist. Born in Switzerland, he was one of the critics of Say's law and supporters of Thomas Malthus. Both of them, almost at the same time, put forward very similar ideas about capitalism and the failure of Say's law. Simon de Sismondi is the author of the famous two-volume work "New Principles of Political Economy" ("New Principles of Political Economy") (1819). He is also known for other works, such as the two-volume “History of the Italian Republics” (1807), “Literature of Southern Europe” (1813).

Simon de Sismondi was born in Geneva. All his childhood was spent in his father's family estate near Geneva. His father was a pastor. First, Simon graduated from the spiritual Calvinist "college", after which he entered the university, which he could not finish due to the shaken financial situation of his father. He had to get a job in one of the banks in Lyon. During the French Revolutions, Sismondi and his father were imprisoned. Then his family was forced to leave. First they went to England, where the twenty-year-old Sismondi got acquainted with such work by Adam Smith as The Wealth of Nations. Then his family crossed over to Italy, where he began to manage his father's household and began to write his works.

In the main work of his life, Simon de Sismondi writes about his own method and understanding of political economy. Also here is his point of view on the division of labor, income, reforms, reproduction, population.

Sismondi, like Adam Smith, suggested that wealth is social labor, and the subject of political economy is the financial situation of people. But on another issue, their opinions are opposite, for example, regarding the theory of the division of labor. He believed that the division of labor contributes to the more rapid emergence of new machines, and they, in turn, are able to displace more people, leaving them out of work. At the end of his work, Sismondi writes about what does not apply to those who do not want progress or stand in its way. Progress, depending on the specific circumstances, can be both beneficial and harmful.

In his opinion, capitalism can develop only by constantly expanding markets. Since the internal market cannot be expanded indefinitely, therefore, one must constantly look for new external markets. In order to at least somewhat increase the volume of sales in the domestic market, it is necessary to raise the wages of ordinary workers. His ideal society is small producers who work for themselves on their own land.

3. Robert Owen's Utopian Dreams

Robert Owen (1771-1858) - one of the great utopian socialists, teacher of William Thompson. For a long time he was a large manufacturer. Robert Owen drew up a rational constitution consisting of 26 laws. Robert Owen is also known for such works as “On the Education of Human Character” (1813-1814), “Report to the County of New Lanark” (1820), “Book of the New Moral World” (1836-1844).

In his views on economics, he largely agrees with representatives of the classical school. Robert Owen believed that the views of the classics were unfair only that the value of a product should include profit. This, according to Owen, was a blatant injustice towards ordinary workers, and it is this injustice that is the cause of economic crises and the constant impoverishment of the working class. Robert Owen was also a zealous opponent of Thomas Malthus' theory of population. He suggested that if the government properly managed physical work, it would be possible to feed an infinitely increasing number of inhabitants.

Robert Owen was one of the first to take care of the workers in his factories. He built a canteen, a trading shop, a savings bank, a nursery, a kindergarten for them, and improved their living conditions. Owen also ordered changes to be made to his factories such as:

1) 10-hour working day for adults;

2) the abolition of the use of child labor, that is, those who are under 18;

3) schools for the children of workers;

4) the abolition of the system of fines, which were very common at that time.

Robert Owen has never been a supporter of revolution or other violent coup. He believed that the unjust system would change gradually and correctly, using "scientific principles". Owen believed that only a wise government is able to initiate such changes, while creating suitable conditions, so the main role in his work is assigned to the government. He considered the following conditions to be suitable:

1) the widespread use of machine labor, and not human, even in the household;

2) labor should become the only measure of value;

3) money must have its own value, which would not exceed the value of steel and iron;

4) the population should be educated, especially using printed materials: books, newspapers, magazines.

Authors: Eliseeva E.L., Ronshina N.I.

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