Charles Fourier
From Freepedia
Image:Charles fourier.jpg François Marie Charles Fourier was a French utopian socialist. He was born on April 7, 1772 and he died on October 10, 1837. Fourier inspired the founding of the communist community called La Reunion near present-day Dallas, Texas as well as several other communities within the United States of America.
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Biographical information
François Marie Charles Fourier born on April 7 1772 and died on October 10 1837. In 1789 he began studies of unitary architecture and in 1791 he moved from his native Besançon to Lyon, the second largest city in France.
Fourier declared that concern and cooperation were the secrets of social success. He believed that a society that cooperated would see an immense change in their productivity levels (for the better). Workers would be recompensed for their labors according to their contribution. Fourier saw such cooperation occurring in communities he called "phalanxes." Phalanxes were based around structures called "grand hotels," (or Phalanstère). These buildings were four level apartment complexes where the richest had the uppermost apartments and the poorest enjoyed a ground floor residence. Wealth was determined by one's job; jobs were assigned based on the interests and desires of the individual. There were incentives, jobs people might not enjoy doing would receive higher pay. Some jobs Fourier imagined would never be taken by sane adults, such as garbage control.
Image:Phalanxary colt nj.jpg Fortunately for those who lived in these communities, they were not obliged to follow Fourier's beliefs. Phalanx style communities started developing beginning in 1840, and Fourier was no longer around. The reason for their fortune was that Charles Fourier had a unique religion to call his own. He believed that the Earth is going through stages of life, the present one (during Fourier's life time) being the one of wealth and success. Up and coming, to the misfortune of greater society and not to those who lived according to Fourier, was an age of drudgery and poverty. Also slated to hit planet Earth was the anti-bear, the anti-whale, and many more anti-creatures. One must understand, to have followed Charles Fourier while he lived required a great patience and an outstanding faith in the unrealized.
Contemporary influence
Fourier's work has significantly influenced the writings of Gustav Wyneken, Guy Davenport, Hakim Bey, and Paul Goodman and probably influenced the Italian boss Adriano Olivetti in the management of his electronic company.
Further reading
primary
- Fourier, Charles. Théorie des quatre mouvements et des destinees generales (Theory of the four movements and the general destinies), appeared anonymously in Lyon in 1808.
- Fourier, Charles. Oeuvres complètes de Charles Fourier. 12 vols. Paris: Anthropos, 1966-1968.
- Jones, Gareth Stedman, and Ian Patterson, eds. Fourier: The Theory of the Four Movements. Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996.
secondary - Fourier
- Beecher, Jonathan. Charles Fourier: The Visionary and His World. Berkeley, U of California P, 1987. (a major work)
secondary - Fourierism and Fourier's posthumous influences
- Brock, William H. Phalanx on a Hill: Responses to Fourierism in the Transcendentalist Circle. Diss., Loyola U Chicago, 1996.
- Davis, Philip G. Goddess Unmasked: The Rise of Neopagan Feminist Spirituality ISBN 1890626201
- Desroche, Henri. La Société festive. Du fouriérisme écrit au fouriérismes pratiqués. Paris: Seuil, 1975. (a major work)
- Engels, Frederick. Anti-Dühring. 25:1-309. Marx, Karl, and Frederick Engels. Karl Marx, Frederick Engels: Collected Works [MECW]. 46 vols. to date. Moscow: Progress, 1975- .
- Guarneri, Carl J. The Utopian Alternative: Fourierism in Nineteenth-Century America. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1991. (a major work)
- Heider, Heider. Anarchism: Left Right and Green ISBN 0872862895
See also
External links
Categories: French people stubs | 1772 births | 1837 deaths | 19th century philosophers | Utopian socialism | Texas history
