Our task is to explain and demonstrate to what extent these small-scale
experiments can have any specific value in the sense of socialism. -
Background By: Rudolf Rocker -
Of the practical experiments of the old experimental socialists in
France, the experiment of the Saint-Simonist school in 1832 caused a
great stir, although it was probably the least significant for the
constructive power of the socialist idea. But the government had
initiated a state action against Enfantin and his followers that was as
brutal as it was ridiculous, and this senseless action drew even more
public attention to the Saint-Simonists' undertaking.
Saint-Simon had been dead for seven years, and his school had undergone
many profound changes when the attempt was made. We have already
observed that Saint-Simon was not an experimental socialist in the usual
sense; strictly speaking, he was not even a socialist, for he held fast
to the right of property, but he recognized the necessity of modifying
the property relations. A great mind and descendant of one of the oldest
French noble families, he had known the ups and downs of life, and had
taken a downright scientific interest in its phenomena, which did not
diminish even when he lost his fortune, lived in abject poverty, and was
driven to the brink of suicide.
Saint-Simon was one of the first to fully grasp the enormous importance
of industry, which was then only in its early stages, while the majority
of his contemporaries did not go beyond the usual slogans of day-to-day
politics. He saw in industry the means of freeing mankind from economic
and political slavery; therefore he had chosen as the motto for his
ideas the words: "Everything through industry, everything for it!" In
his analysis of social conditions he often showed an astonishing
perspicacity, and his ability to recognize the historical context of
events and their economic determinacy enabled him to foresee many things
that others did not think of. But he had no definite plan for the cure
of social ills. In his main work, "Le Nouveau Christianisme," he had
taken the view that "it must be the task of all social institutions of
our century to always keep in mind the physical and moral improvement of
the most numerous and poorest classes," and this insight was the basis
of all his ideas and proposals.
For this reason, he fought against all unemployed income and all
privileges in society and strove for a union of artists, scholars and
tradesmen in order to give the social order a new foundation. In his
opinion, organic and critical periods, periods of construction and
demolition, always alternate in history, since the basis of society has
always been war. Only when work forms the foundation of the social order
will war have to give way to peace and society will be organized
according to the principle: "From each according to his ability; to each
ability according to its works!"
Saint-Simon's practical proposals are not of interest to us here, as
they do not fall within the scope of this study. We shall mention only
his advocacy of an industrial parliament, a proposal which already
suggests the idea of replacing diplomatic routine with economic
necessity and replacing all politics with the administration of industry.
After the master's death, only a few followers of the new teaching
remained, all of them people from the ranks of the propertied and
intellectual classes of society. Saint-Simon had left his disciples a
large number of fruitful ideas, but no definite system. This was only
later developed by the Saint-Simonists, who in doing so arrived at
certain conclusions that had little or nothing to do with the master's
original teachings.
Since 1827, political life in France had again assumed more radical
forms; the July Revolution was already casting its shadow. Through
industrious work, the Saint-Simonists had succeeded in winning a whole
series of new followers, and a whole number of men, each of whom later
became famous in his own way, received their first social education in
the school of Saint-Simonism. To name just a few, A. Comte, the founder
of positivism; F. Lesseps, who later built the Suez Canal; A. Thierry,
the well-known historian; P. Leroux, Buchez, the Pereire brothers, etc.
Those who had the greatest influence on the further development of
Saint-Simonism were Bazard and Enfantin. Both gave Saint-Simon's ideas a
socialist basis, but at the same time also their strictly authoritarian
and hierarchical character. Bazard had given a series of lectures in the
Rue Taranne (1829-1830) which caused much excitement, in which he
attempted to prove that humanity was approaching a new organic period
which would unite all peoples in a great spiritual unity and faith. As a
result of this union he proclaimed: 1. Universal brotherhood based on
love; hence no more competition. 2. To each according to his ability, to
each ability according to his works; hence no more inheritance. 3.
Organisation of industry; hence no more war. Bazard then developed the
plan of a hierarchical economic administration culminating in an
industrial papacy, while Enfantin had mainly in mind the development of
Saint-Simonism into a new religion with the strict rules of a church and
its ceremonial.
The June Revolution gave Saint-Simonism a powerful boost. Up to 1,500
people often attended daily meetings. With the help of wealthy patrons,
the school even managed to buy a daily newspaper, "Le Globe", in order
to spread its ideas to the masses. At the same time, the school also
attempted a practical step to demonstrate the excellence of community
life. In the Rue Monsigny, the so-called "Saint-Simonist family"
organized itself to pay homage to the cult of brotherhood. This was a
communal household where the "initiates" of the school tried to put
their principles into practice. However, this could only happen to the
extent that communal living was possible, because the family hearth in
the Rue Monsigny was designed for this. People lived together, ate meals
together, arranged communal parties, lectures, discussion evenings, etc.
The entire household was provided for by the "brothers" and "sisters"
themselves. Some placed all their furniture at the disposal of the
"family", others valuable libraries; everyone gave something so that the
family did not have to pay a penny for its furniture. Likewise, most of
the necessary work was done communally, in the free hours available to
each individual when he returned to the "family" from his daily work in
civil society. The management of the "family hearth" was strictly
hierarchical according to Saint-Simonist principles. The "brothers" and
"sisters" themselves chose their "fathers" and "mothers" and voluntarily
submitted to their orders.
The Saint-Simonists had already begun to set up a number of workshops
based on the principle of association, employing workers who had adopted
their ideas. But all these attempts failed when a split began to form
within the movement. The reason for this was Enfantin's ideas on the
"emancipation of women", which he had taken from the writings of
Fourier. He had given these ideas the character of erotic mysticism, but
this had met with opposition from many of his old pupils, and especially
from Bazard. The dispute was carried out in endless discussions and
finally led to a complete split, which weakened the movement to such an
extent that it had to liquidate not only its newspaper but also all its
other institutions.
Enfantin then withdrew with about forty pupils, all of them technicians,
doctors, lawyers, poets, etc., to his family estate in Menilmontant, not
far from Paris, to found a new community. The colonists undertook the
hardest and most unusual work with great enthusiasm. The house was
repaired, common halls and rooms were set up, land was cultivated and
some home industries were started. The whole life was regulated
according to certain forms and structured like a church community,
headed by "Father" Enfantin. The work began at six in the morning, after
"Father" had gathered his congregation together for prayer and shared a
meal with them. Felicien David had set some of the school's hymns to
music, which were sung at community gatherings and on festive occasions.
Another "brother," E. Talabot, had designed a special outfit for the
members of the new community, consisting of a blue overcoat, a peculiar
waistcoat that could only be opened at the back, white trousers, a
leather belt, and a pleated cap. The outfit had to be worn everywhere in
order to attract public attention and thereby facilitate the opportunity
for verbal discussions with outsiders. In Menilmontant, everything was
tailored to the propaganda side.
Everyone had free access to the community and could personally take part
in all religious ceremonies, festivities and other activities of the
colonists. Curious people often came, not only from the surrounding
area, but also from Paris and other cities. The press also frequently
published reports about the "eccentrics of Menilmontant", which were
often peppered with malicious and spiteful insinuations and apparently
had the purpose of making the government angry with them. In the French
Chamber, the deputies Dupin and Mauguin had previously accused the
Saint-Simonists of being "a sect that preaches the community of goods
and women". Now that the government of the "Citizen King" was more
firmly in the saddle, a blow was struck against Enfantin and his
followers. After the police had paid several unwelcome visits to the
colonists of Menilmontant and had disturbed their ceremonies with drawn
bayonets, the government summoned the principal leaders of the school,
Enfantin, Chevalier, Duveyrier, Barrault and Rodrigues, to the assizes
on August 27th. They were accused of violating Article 291 of the penal
code, which prohibited associations of more than twenty people, and of
the crime of insulting public morals and common decency.
The whole trial was one of the usual trials of tendencies, such as were
so frequent under the government of Louis Philippe. The accused had
already been condemned in advance, so to speak, and the best defense
could not help them. They had appeared before the court in their special
clothing and defended their principles with great skill and manly
conviction. The court sentenced Enfantin, Chevalier and Duveyrier to one
year in prison and a fine of 100 francs each, and Barrault and Rodrigues
- the last of whom had already separated from Enfantin and had nothing
at all to do with the experiment in Menilmontant - to a fine of 50
francs each.
This sealed the case for the colony in Menilmontant. The whole school
was dissolved, but its ideas continued to influence the development of
the socialist movement in France for a long time. Menilmontant's
experiment was, so to speak, violently interrupted in its early stages;
for this reason it is difficult to judge its further development
possibilities. All we know is that similar experiments were planned in
Lyon and several other cities, but they were not carried out after the
heads of the school were convicted. Enfantin had taken many things from
Fourierism in the organization and methods of work, but the time was
simply too short to form a proper picture of the value and significance
of these methods.
Given the strictly authoritarian attitude of the Saint-Simonist school,
the colony in Menilmontant would hardly have been spared internal
divisions in the long run. Despite the religious attitude of its
followers, human nature cannot be forced into certain forms for long.
The earlier divisions within the Saint-Simonist school have proved this
sufficiently, and the result in Menilmontant would hardly have been any
different. To what extent these small-scale attempts can have any
specific value in the sense of socialism is something we will have to
explain and demonstrate, after we have gained a clearer picture of the
other attempts of the old experimental socialism.
https://direkteaktion.org/konstruktiver-sozialismus-ii/
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
experiments can have any specific value in the sense of socialism. -
Background By: Rudolf Rocker -
Of the practical experiments of the old experimental socialists in
France, the experiment of the Saint-Simonist school in 1832 caused a
great stir, although it was probably the least significant for the
constructive power of the socialist idea. But the government had
initiated a state action against Enfantin and his followers that was as
brutal as it was ridiculous, and this senseless action drew even more
public attention to the Saint-Simonists' undertaking.
Saint-Simon had been dead for seven years, and his school had undergone
many profound changes when the attempt was made. We have already
observed that Saint-Simon was not an experimental socialist in the usual
sense; strictly speaking, he was not even a socialist, for he held fast
to the right of property, but he recognized the necessity of modifying
the property relations. A great mind and descendant of one of the oldest
French noble families, he had known the ups and downs of life, and had
taken a downright scientific interest in its phenomena, which did not
diminish even when he lost his fortune, lived in abject poverty, and was
driven to the brink of suicide.
Saint-Simon was one of the first to fully grasp the enormous importance
of industry, which was then only in its early stages, while the majority
of his contemporaries did not go beyond the usual slogans of day-to-day
politics. He saw in industry the means of freeing mankind from economic
and political slavery; therefore he had chosen as the motto for his
ideas the words: "Everything through industry, everything for it!" In
his analysis of social conditions he often showed an astonishing
perspicacity, and his ability to recognize the historical context of
events and their economic determinacy enabled him to foresee many things
that others did not think of. But he had no definite plan for the cure
of social ills. In his main work, "Le Nouveau Christianisme," he had
taken the view that "it must be the task of all social institutions of
our century to always keep in mind the physical and moral improvement of
the most numerous and poorest classes," and this insight was the basis
of all his ideas and proposals.
For this reason, he fought against all unemployed income and all
privileges in society and strove for a union of artists, scholars and
tradesmen in order to give the social order a new foundation. In his
opinion, organic and critical periods, periods of construction and
demolition, always alternate in history, since the basis of society has
always been war. Only when work forms the foundation of the social order
will war have to give way to peace and society will be organized
according to the principle: "From each according to his ability; to each
ability according to its works!"
Saint-Simon's practical proposals are not of interest to us here, as
they do not fall within the scope of this study. We shall mention only
his advocacy of an industrial parliament, a proposal which already
suggests the idea of replacing diplomatic routine with economic
necessity and replacing all politics with the administration of industry.
After the master's death, only a few followers of the new teaching
remained, all of them people from the ranks of the propertied and
intellectual classes of society. Saint-Simon had left his disciples a
large number of fruitful ideas, but no definite system. This was only
later developed by the Saint-Simonists, who in doing so arrived at
certain conclusions that had little or nothing to do with the master's
original teachings.
Since 1827, political life in France had again assumed more radical
forms; the July Revolution was already casting its shadow. Through
industrious work, the Saint-Simonists had succeeded in winning a whole
series of new followers, and a whole number of men, each of whom later
became famous in his own way, received their first social education in
the school of Saint-Simonism. To name just a few, A. Comte, the founder
of positivism; F. Lesseps, who later built the Suez Canal; A. Thierry,
the well-known historian; P. Leroux, Buchez, the Pereire brothers, etc.
Those who had the greatest influence on the further development of
Saint-Simonism were Bazard and Enfantin. Both gave Saint-Simon's ideas a
socialist basis, but at the same time also their strictly authoritarian
and hierarchical character. Bazard had given a series of lectures in the
Rue Taranne (1829-1830) which caused much excitement, in which he
attempted to prove that humanity was approaching a new organic period
which would unite all peoples in a great spiritual unity and faith. As a
result of this union he proclaimed: 1. Universal brotherhood based on
love; hence no more competition. 2. To each according to his ability, to
each ability according to his works; hence no more inheritance. 3.
Organisation of industry; hence no more war. Bazard then developed the
plan of a hierarchical economic administration culminating in an
industrial papacy, while Enfantin had mainly in mind the development of
Saint-Simonism into a new religion with the strict rules of a church and
its ceremonial.
The June Revolution gave Saint-Simonism a powerful boost. Up to 1,500
people often attended daily meetings. With the help of wealthy patrons,
the school even managed to buy a daily newspaper, "Le Globe", in order
to spread its ideas to the masses. At the same time, the school also
attempted a practical step to demonstrate the excellence of community
life. In the Rue Monsigny, the so-called "Saint-Simonist family"
organized itself to pay homage to the cult of brotherhood. This was a
communal household where the "initiates" of the school tried to put
their principles into practice. However, this could only happen to the
extent that communal living was possible, because the family hearth in
the Rue Monsigny was designed for this. People lived together, ate meals
together, arranged communal parties, lectures, discussion evenings, etc.
The entire household was provided for by the "brothers" and "sisters"
themselves. Some placed all their furniture at the disposal of the
"family", others valuable libraries; everyone gave something so that the
family did not have to pay a penny for its furniture. Likewise, most of
the necessary work was done communally, in the free hours available to
each individual when he returned to the "family" from his daily work in
civil society. The management of the "family hearth" was strictly
hierarchical according to Saint-Simonist principles. The "brothers" and
"sisters" themselves chose their "fathers" and "mothers" and voluntarily
submitted to their orders.
The Saint-Simonists had already begun to set up a number of workshops
based on the principle of association, employing workers who had adopted
their ideas. But all these attempts failed when a split began to form
within the movement. The reason for this was Enfantin's ideas on the
"emancipation of women", which he had taken from the writings of
Fourier. He had given these ideas the character of erotic mysticism, but
this had met with opposition from many of his old pupils, and especially
from Bazard. The dispute was carried out in endless discussions and
finally led to a complete split, which weakened the movement to such an
extent that it had to liquidate not only its newspaper but also all its
other institutions.
Enfantin then withdrew with about forty pupils, all of them technicians,
doctors, lawyers, poets, etc., to his family estate in Menilmontant, not
far from Paris, to found a new community. The colonists undertook the
hardest and most unusual work with great enthusiasm. The house was
repaired, common halls and rooms were set up, land was cultivated and
some home industries were started. The whole life was regulated
according to certain forms and structured like a church community,
headed by "Father" Enfantin. The work began at six in the morning, after
"Father" had gathered his congregation together for prayer and shared a
meal with them. Felicien David had set some of the school's hymns to
music, which were sung at community gatherings and on festive occasions.
Another "brother," E. Talabot, had designed a special outfit for the
members of the new community, consisting of a blue overcoat, a peculiar
waistcoat that could only be opened at the back, white trousers, a
leather belt, and a pleated cap. The outfit had to be worn everywhere in
order to attract public attention and thereby facilitate the opportunity
for verbal discussions with outsiders. In Menilmontant, everything was
tailored to the propaganda side.
Everyone had free access to the community and could personally take part
in all religious ceremonies, festivities and other activities of the
colonists. Curious people often came, not only from the surrounding
area, but also from Paris and other cities. The press also frequently
published reports about the "eccentrics of Menilmontant", which were
often peppered with malicious and spiteful insinuations and apparently
had the purpose of making the government angry with them. In the French
Chamber, the deputies Dupin and Mauguin had previously accused the
Saint-Simonists of being "a sect that preaches the community of goods
and women". Now that the government of the "Citizen King" was more
firmly in the saddle, a blow was struck against Enfantin and his
followers. After the police had paid several unwelcome visits to the
colonists of Menilmontant and had disturbed their ceremonies with drawn
bayonets, the government summoned the principal leaders of the school,
Enfantin, Chevalier, Duveyrier, Barrault and Rodrigues, to the assizes
on August 27th. They were accused of violating Article 291 of the penal
code, which prohibited associations of more than twenty people, and of
the crime of insulting public morals and common decency.
The whole trial was one of the usual trials of tendencies, such as were
so frequent under the government of Louis Philippe. The accused had
already been condemned in advance, so to speak, and the best defense
could not help them. They had appeared before the court in their special
clothing and defended their principles with great skill and manly
conviction. The court sentenced Enfantin, Chevalier and Duveyrier to one
year in prison and a fine of 100 francs each, and Barrault and Rodrigues
- the last of whom had already separated from Enfantin and had nothing
at all to do with the experiment in Menilmontant - to a fine of 50
francs each.
This sealed the case for the colony in Menilmontant. The whole school
was dissolved, but its ideas continued to influence the development of
the socialist movement in France for a long time. Menilmontant's
experiment was, so to speak, violently interrupted in its early stages;
for this reason it is difficult to judge its further development
possibilities. All we know is that similar experiments were planned in
Lyon and several other cities, but they were not carried out after the
heads of the school were convicted. Enfantin had taken many things from
Fourierism in the organization and methods of work, but the time was
simply too short to form a proper picture of the value and significance
of these methods.
Given the strictly authoritarian attitude of the Saint-Simonist school,
the colony in Menilmontant would hardly have been spared internal
divisions in the long run. Despite the religious attitude of its
followers, human nature cannot be forced into certain forms for long.
The earlier divisions within the Saint-Simonist school have proved this
sufficiently, and the result in Menilmontant would hardly have been any
different. To what extent these small-scale attempts can have any
specific value in the sense of socialism is something we will have to
explain and demonstrate, after we have gained a clearer picture of the
other attempts of the old experimental socialism.
https://direkteaktion.org/konstruktiver-sozialismus-ii/
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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