HSTR 102IH 1st Edition Lecture 14Utopian Socialism and Marxism-Socialism- Early socialist movements were a response to development of capitalist societies across Europe.- Marx came up with “Utopian Socialists” to critique socialist thinkers.- Utopian communities were NOT to be based on industrial capitalist values.- Didn’t like values of 19th century American mid-class- Claude Henri de Saint Simon: - first socialist pioneer.- Liberal, French aristocrat – fought for America in American War of Independence.- Supported French Revolution- Personal valet woke him up every morning to say: “Remember Monsieur le Comte, you have great things do” - Surprising he was a socialist since he was born with privilege.- Imprisoned during French Revolution, lost money, divorced and lost health. Never gained much notoriety for ideas while alive- Called “the Prophet” - Starts communicating ideas in 1817- Modern society required:- Rational management;- Private property and wealth should be administered not by owners but by gov’t- Technocrats should lead society – not the wealthy privileged- Aristocrats were useless to him- Supported meritocracy- Saint-Simonianism adopted small group of socialists to form communities- One group wore clothing buttoned from back, requiring help to get dressed/undressed- Some encouraged free love.- Robert Owen (1771-1858)- Followers were Owenites- Owen was an industrialist – in cotton manufacturers- Owenisim had New Lanark, Scotland- He attempted to create a community different from other factory towns.- Believed environment is important to moral development- Work should uplift the laborer- Children should be raised in a nurturing environment- Owen saw no incompatibility between running a humane factory and turning a profit.- Owen managed to made a profit and not at the worker’s expense- New Lanark:- Good Housing- Had ample recreational activities- Children received an education- Became a tourist attraction- So successful, he wanted to reorganize society with new perspectives- Wanted to create a self-sustaining society- Sells New Lanark and moves to USA – est. New Harmony (1826)- Other communities in America patterned on Owenite principles- Community failed by 1828.- 1830’s – moves back to England and starts trade union movement- Charles Fourier (1772-1837)- Salesman who didn’t know how to sell himself- Intellectual rather than a go-getter- Loved to follow marching bands down street- Rushed home for mail that rarely came - Fourierism:- Believed that future said:- Androgynous plants would copulate- World would contain approx. 37 million poets, mathematicians and dramatist.- Every women would have 4 lovers- Believed industrial economy was mechanical, not emotional – since it ignoredhuman spirit.- Capitalist societies had no pleasure for human beings- Solutions were agrarian at foundation- Accepted notion of varying degrees of wealth- Ideal communities were places of sexual freedom.- In order to keep the pop. Interested, each person should do diff. tasks throughout the day, rather than single repetitive task.- Against boredom- Organized society into 810 personality types, said an ideal community would have a man and women of each- By letting people pursue own interests, he thought people would produce harmonious communities- Karl Marx (1818-1883)- German born to Jews- University of Berlin philosophy and politics graduate- 1842-43 edited a newspaper so radical he was forced into exile to Paris, then London by 1849- 1844 – met Friederich Engels – son of German industrialist- Engle’sThe Conditions of the Working Class in England exposed devastating effects of industrialism- Marx and Engels become friends and write pamphlet called The Communist Manifesto 1848- Marx and Engels were socialists, but thought communism to be more radical- The Communist Manifesto was not a viable program- More a critique of capitalism- In capitalism, workers produce products for wages- Work is dependent upon a division of labor- Worker has no control of his product as a whole, and he would lose pride in his work- Feels alienated, from that which he produces – even from his own labor process, as it is increasingly unfulfilling and objectifying- Key to capitalist system us surplus value- Labor is a commodity. It can be bought/sold and based entirely on supply/demand- Industrial capitalist wants to earn a profit.- This was an inevitable revolution for Marxism-which is why Marxist theory proclaims that the bourgeoisie produces it’s own gravediggers- Trade Unionism:- European Gov’ts resist trade unionism – it gave labor lots of power in an economy that was supposed to operate on the principles of free trade- Trade Unions really began with Robert Owen when he returned from failed New Harmony- In Britain – Trade unions weren’t legalized until 1871- France/Germany – trade unions couldn’t be entangled with politicians by endof 19th century- In France, trade unionism becomes known as
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