The problem and the founder of utopian socialism. The main ideas and representatives of utopian socialism

II. Followers of utopian socialism. 3

2.1. Saint Simon. four

2.2. Charles Fourier. 6

2.3. Robert Owen. 7

During this period, social utopias arise. One of the founders of utopian socialism was Thomas More (1478-1532), an outstanding humanist thinker, politician of Tudor England, executed for opposition to absolutism (refused to take the oath to the king as the head of the church). The son of a wealthy judge and himself a lawyer by training, More held high government positions. But despite this, he sympathized with the misfortunes of the masses.

More sharply criticized the social orders prevailing in England, the methods of primitive accumulation of capital. He saw the root cause of poverty in private property, and acted as its opponent.

More was the first critic of capitalism. More's views were not particularly scientific theory. They were just dreams.

Among the early representatives of utopian socialism is the Italian thinker Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639), who came out of the poor peasantry. He is known as an active participant in the struggle for the liberation of southern Italy from the oppression of the Spanish monarchy. Once in the hands of enemies, Campanella spent 27 years in casemates. There he wrote his famous essay City of the Sun (1623), in which he sharply criticized the social system of Italy at that time.

In it, Campanella put forward a project for an ideal utopian state - the city of the Sun, the basis of which was the community of property. Reflecting the traditions of the economic thought of the Middle Ages, he was guided by a subsistence economy. The society of the future was drawn to him as a set of agricultural communities, in which all citizens are involved. Campanella recognized the individuality of housing and the family, the universality of labor, and rejected the thesis that after the abolition of property, no one would work. Consumption in the city of the Sun, he believed, would be public with an abundance of material goods, poverty would disappear. Relations between people should be based on the principles of friendship, comradely cooperation and mutual understanding.

However, not a utopian state with unusual orders, in which the historical limitations of their economic projects T. Mor, nor T. Campanella did not know the real paths to the new society. They limited themselves to description.

Expressing the dreams of the nascent proletariat for a future society, the great utopian socialists Henri Claude , Saint Simon , Charles Fourier and Robert Owen made a denunciatory critique of capitalism. The great utopians made a valuable contribution to economics by pointing out for the first time the historically transient character of capitalism, noting that capitalist relations are not eternal and natural. They considered the development of human society as a historical process in which the previous stage is replaced by another, more highly developed one. Representatives of utopian socialism, wrote V.I. Lenin, “looked in the same direction where real development was going; they were ahead of this development.”

The classics of bourgeois political economy considered capitalism to be an eternal and natural system. In contrast to them, the utopian socialists exposed the vices and ulcers of capitalism, its contradictions, pointing to the poverty and misery of the working masses. Criticizing the capitalist mode of production, the great utopian socialists declared that it should be replaced by a social order that would bring happiness to all members of society. Their criticism of capitalism was sharp and angry, contributed to the enlightenment of the workers and the preparation of conditions for the perception of the ideas of scientific socialism.

In their projects of future justice social system Utopian socialists foresaw many features of a socialist society, did not confine themselves to the demand for the reorganization of consumption and distribution, but came up with the idea of transforming production itself. They called the ideal social system in different ways.

So Saint-Simon called it industrialism, Fourier - harmony, Owen - communism. But all of them proceeded from the absence of exploitation, the elimination of the antithesis between mental and physical labor, from the fact that private property will disappear or will not play a special role in the future society.

In Western Europe in late XVII – early XIX For centuries, manufactory dominated, and factory production was just in its infancy. The material conditions of capitalism and the formation of the proletariat as a special working class were at an early stage. The proletariat was still a fragmented mass and was not ready for independent action, acted as an ally of the bourgeoisie in the fight against the remnants of absolute monarchy and feudal exploitation. Under these conditions, socialism and the labor movement developed independently, in isolation from each other.

Utopian socialists did not see real ways of transition to a society of social justice, they did not understand the historical mission of the proletariat, although they noted the opposition of class interests. They looked upon the proletariat as an oppressed, suffering mass. They considered their task to be the development of consciousness, the promotion of their ideas, their implementation by creating a commune, a “phalanstere” or “fair exchange bazaars”. The imperfection and inconsistency of the socialist theories of the utopians corresponded to immature capitalist production and undeveloped class relations. Since the material conditions for the emancipation of the working people had not yet been created, the representatives of utopian socialism put forward fantastic projects for a future society. They placed themselves above the classes, declaring that they reflected the interests of all members of society, but appealed to the ruling classes in promoting their projects. They rejected political struggle and revolution, relying on the transformation of society through propaganda and agitation of the ideas of social justice. This was the utopianism of ideas. However, despite the limitations of utopian socialism, in the period of the formation of capitalism it was a progressive doctrine, reflecting the aspirations of the nascent proletariat, and was one of the sources of Marxism.

The future just society Saint-Simon called the industrial system. He believed that an industrial society would develop on the basis of large-scale industrial production, industry - according to a certain plan, and management - carried out from a single center by industrialists. Plans for the development of industrial production and distribution of products will be drawn up by scientists; industrial capitalists, having rich experience, will lead the organization of management, and the workers will directly work on the implementation of the developed plans. By creating a new public organization Saint-Simon intended to achieve the elimination of the anarchy of production and the establishment of planning and centralism in the management of the economy.

In his industrial system, Saint-Simon maintained capitalist property while opposing landowners and usurers. But the capitalists, in his opinion, will work in the "golden age", organizing labor. He believed that they would have no power, and naively assumed the voluntary transformation of the capitalist-owner into the capitalist-worker. For the capitalist, Saint-Simon also retained the right to receive unearned income as a reward for capital, but in general his social utopia was directed against the domination of the bourgeoisie, and not to protect capitalist interests and the power of the technocracy, as supporters of the modern bourgeois theory of "industrial society" try to present. . Saint-Simon did not advocate "organized capitalism", but for organized labor and did not notice that capitalists can only organize labor in a capitalist way.

Describing economic processes, which he observed in the analysis of civilization, Fourier predicted the replacement of free competition by monopolies. He even gave his own classification of monopolies, highlighting such types as colonial monopoly, simple maritime monopoly, cooperative, or monopoly of closed associations, state monopoly, or state administration.

Fourier, exposing civilization, showed the doom of the capitalist system, but, like other utopian socialists, he did not see real ways to a "harmonious society". He was an opponent of the revolution, a supporter of reforms, the transition to justice and the abolition of exploitation through agitation and example. According to Fourier, it is possible to move to a new social system by discovering the law on the basis of which society must live and develop. He claimed that it was he who discovered this law and that his "theory of fates will fulfill the demand of nations, providing abundance to everyone."

A just society, Fourier dreamed, would consist of associations of producers (phalanxes) created without coercion, based on the principle of satisfying the needs of all people. This society, in his opinion, should be classless, harmonious. With the establishment of "universal unity," he wrote, poverty, injustice and war will disappear. Each phalanx will occupy a certain land plot, on which its members will produce products, and then distribute it themselves. According to the Fourier plan, agriculture must become the basis of the future system, and industry must play a subordinate role. This was the manifestation of Fourier's petty-bourgeois illusions. In the phalanx, he retained private property and capital, and the distribution was partially to be carried out according to capital. But Fourier believed that this would not bring any harm, because all the workers would become capitalists, and the capitalists would become workers. Thus, through reforms, Fourier erroneously assumed the establishment of a classless society.

A characteristic feature of Owen's economic views is that, unlike the French utopian socialists who rejected bourgeois political economy, he relied in his theoretical constructions on Ricardo's labor theory of value. He, following Ricardo, proclaimed labor as the source of value. Owen drew a socialist conclusion from the theory of ore value, stating that the product of labor should belong to those who produce it.

Criticizing capitalism, he noted the contradiction between the growth of production and the shrinking consumption, which, in his opinion, is the cause of economic crises. But in contrast to Sismondi, who tried to turn history back to small-scale production, Owen said that poverty and crises would be eliminated under the socialist organization of labor.

Along with private property, the cause of the contradiction between labor and capital, Owen declared the existence of money as an artificial measure of value. He proposes to destroy money and introduce the equivalent of labor costs - "labor money". The project of "working money" showed that Owen did not understand the essence of the category of value as a spokesman for the social relations of commodity producers. Since value is a social category, it cannot be measured directly by labor time, it can only be expressed in relation to commodities one to another. Owen tried to implement the “working money” project by organizing the “Fair Exchange Bazaar”, which quickly became overstocked with slow-moving goods, and those goods that could therefore be profitably sold on the market were taken according to receipts. The "Fair Exchange Bazaar" quickly disintegrated, unable to withstand the onslaught of the capitalist elements.

In contrast to the petty-bourgeois capitalist economists and other utopian socialists, Owen, along with the project of "working money", proposed the reorganization of production and even tried to create a "Union of Production". To organize such a union, the capitalists had to sell the means of production to the trade unions. But nothing came of this intention, since the capitalists did not even think of selling their enterprises, and the trade unions did not have the means to do so.

1. History of economic doctrines modern stage. Textbook / Ed. A G Khudokormrva, M.: INFRA M 1998

2. Yadgarov Ya.S. History of Economic Thought. Textbook for high schools. 2nd edition - M.: Infra-M, 1997

3. Mayburg E.M. Introduction to the history of economic thought. From prophets to professors. - M.: Case, Vita - press, 1996

4. Titova N.E. History of Economic Thought. Course of lectures - M: Humanite. Publishing house center VLADOS, 1997

5. Agapova I.I. History of economic doctrines - M.: ViM, 1997.

Rise of utopian socialism

In the late Middle Ages (XVI-XVII centuries), significant changes took place in the economic thought of Western Europe, caused by a deep process of development of manufactory production. The great geographical discoveries, the robbery of the colonies accelerated the process of capital accumulation. During this period, social utopias arise. One of the founders of utopian socialism was Thomas More (1478-1532) - an outstanding humanist thinker, political figure in England, who was executed for his opposition to absolutism (he refused to take the oath to the king as the head of the church). The son of a wealthy judge and himself a lawyer by education, More held high government positions, despite this, he sympathized with the misfortune of the masses. In 1516, he published the famous book "Utopia", which laid the foundation for utopian socialism and gave it a name. More sharply criticized the social order in England, the methods of primitive accumulation of capital. He saw the root cause of poverty in private property and opposed it. More was the first critic of capitalism. More's views had little scientific value. They were just dreams. Among the early representatives of utopian socialism is the Italian thinker Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639), who came from among the poorest peasantry. He is known as an active participant in the struggle for the liberation of southern Italy from the oppression of the Spanish monarchy. Once in the hands of enemies, Campanella spent 27 years in the casemates. There he wrote his famous work "City of the Sun" (1623), in which he sharply criticized the social system of Italy at that time. In it, Campanella put forward a project of an ideal utopian state - the city of the Sun, the basis of which was the community of property. Reflecting the traditions of the economic thought of the Middle Ages, he focused on a subsistence economy. The society of the future was presented to him as a set of agricultural communities in which all citizens are involved in the work. Campanella recognized the individuality of housing and families, the community of labor, and rejected the thesis that after the abolition of property, no one would work. Consumption in the city of the Sun, he believed, would be social, provided there was an abundance of material goods, poverty would disappear. Relations between people should be based on the principles of friendship, comradely cooperation and mutual understanding. However, neither T. More nor T. Campanella knew the real paths to the new society. They limited themselves to describing a utopian state with unusual orders, which revealed the historical limitations of their economic projects. The essence of the utopian concepts of the early utopian socialists was to gravitate towards the primitive ideal of a social order based on the principles of equal needs and equal abilities. However, in the first half of the XIX century. under the influence of the works of representatives of classical political economy, the doctrines of the utopian socialists underwent significant qualitative changes. For utopian socialism, this period, associated with the completion of the industrial revolution, is significant for the comprehension of new economic realities, which were reflected in the developments of the leaders of this school, G. Owen in England, A. Saint-Simon and PI. Fourier in France. It was these authors and their followers who began to associate their ideas with the prevailing by the beginning of the 19th century. the then prevailing principles of the classical school of political economy. They, like the classics, tend to further accelerate scientific discoveries and technical inventions, any possible increase in productivity.

The classics considered capitalism to be an eternal and natural system. In contrast to them, the utopian socialists criticized capitalism, pointing to the poverty and misery of the working masses. They believed that capitalism would be replaced by a social order that would bring happiness to all members of society. They called the ideal social system in different ways: for example, A. Saint-Simon called it industrialism, PI. Fourier - harmony, G. Owen - communism. They considered their task to be the development of consciousness, the propaganda of their ideas, and their implementation by creating a commune, "phalaster", or "bazaars of a fair exchange." Utopian socialism showed the opposite of class interests, but rejected political struggle and revolution, hoping for the transformation of the social system in a peaceful, evolutionary, compromise way.

Claude Henri de Rebrois Saint-Simon (1760-1825) - French utopian socialist, who, by virtue of his convictions, refused the title of count and noble title, is one of the authors of this direction of economic thought. He owns such well-known works as "Letters from a Geneva inhabitant to his contemporaries" (1803), "On industrial system"(1821), "Catechism of Industrialists" (1823-1824), etc.

In their judgments, the transition from feudalism to an industrial socially just system is inevitable due to the coming changes and such growing factors as science, reason and advanced ideas.

In his opinion, antagonistic (opposite) classes will disappear in the new society and the government will find economic functions instead of political ones.

However, it should be noted that, unlike all other representatives of utopian socialism, he was the only one who did not deny the existence of private property in the new society. Saint-Simon believed that "it is this institution that is the basis of the social order" and that "a law establishing property and regulating its use" is necessary.

He assigns an important role in society to "industrialists", thanks to whom "the vast majority of the nation" will begin to live "in happier conditions." He calls industrialists three large classes: 1) farmers (peasants); 2) workers and engineers, scientists; 3) merchants. They are the ones who produce all wealth. The non-industrial class includes nobles (landowners), financiers (bankers).

In the matter of building a new society, Saint-Simon by all means defended the closeness of the interests of the royal power and industrialists. The royal power must unite with the industrialists in the fight against the remnants of feudalism. Saint-Simon rejected a forced transition to a new society and believed that education, the consciousness of people would contribute to the development of a new society.

Robert Owen (1771-1858) - English utopian socialist, author of works containing projects of socialist transformations. Among them are such works as: "On the Formation of Human Character" (1813-1814), "Report to the County of New Lanark" (1820), "The Book of the New Moral World" (1836-1844), etc. .

His interpretation of the economic category "value" is close to the classical interpretation of D. Ricardo. He unreservedly accepted the labor theory of value, but did not allow the proposition that the value of a commodity also includes profit. It is the injustice of its occurrence, in his opinion, that is the cause of the deprivation of workers and economic crises.

G. Owen, being long time a major manufacturer, predicted many social events under the conditions of the factory organization of social production. So, for his workers in New Lanark, back in the 19th century, he built special comfortable dwellings, a canteen, a trading shop, a savings bank, Kindergarten and nurseries, etc. And by the established order of labor, R. Owen was half a century ahead of factory labor legislation:

By reducing the working day for adults from 17 to 10 hours;

Abolishing child labor (children under the age of 10) and establishing schools that were secular for the first time;

Destroyed fines at work, which were previously commonplace.

In his works, G. Owen tries to substantiate the concept of "reasonable organization of society." During the transition to a new society, according to the scientist, it is necessary with the help of "smart laws" to correct the old system without any violence. The dominance of private property, the scientist believed, is main reason countless "injustices, crimes and misfortunes" experienced by man, and the machine, which could be the "greatest boon" becomes the "greatest curse". The replacement of “an unjust social order will be carried out “gradually, peacefully and wisely” by the implementation of “scientific principles.” Owen proposed buying up private land for “its market price from those who wish to sell it, thereby turning it into public property in the future. It will be a source of state revenue." On these lands, the scientist proposes to create settlements with a population of 500-3000 people. All these activities should be carried out by a smart government and provide reasonable conditions for society, which, according to Owen, will be 26 laws - the so-called smart constitution :

Widespread use of machines to replace manual labor, including households;

The transformation of labor into the only measure of value;

Ensuring the abundance of human wealth through replacement metallic money"labor bonds";

Usage various means for the education of the population, especially the press;

Liquidation of "useless private property" and, accordingly, profits thanks to the contacts of producers without intermediaries, etc.

World harmony;

Establishment throughout the world of one language, money, measures, etc.;

Consistently high yields;

Emancipation of blacks and slaves;

Achievement of high cultural morals;

Opportunity to increase income from reasonable management. Utopian socialism is a trend that originated at the beginning of the 19th century and was intended to combat exploitation in society. Utopian socialism reflected a future society as an affluent society, providing for the satisfaction of human needs and the flourishing of the individual. This trend is characterized by the use of the hypothetical method "what would happen if ...".

However, this direction of economic science is still quite significant elements in terms of predictions that came true, of a social and economic nature. This seems especially relevant given the current realities. modern society require the development of socially-oriented concepts for the development of the country's economy.

During this period, social utopias arise. One of the founders of utopian socialism was Thomas More (1478-1532), an outstanding humanist thinker, politician of Tudor England, who was executed for opp

look at essays similar to "Utopian socialists"

I. The Emergence of Utopian Socialism 2
II. Followers of utopian socialism 3
2.1. Saint-Simon 4
2.2. Charles Fourier 6
2.3. Robert Owen 7
References 9

I. The Emergence of Utopian Socialism

In the late Middle Ages (XVI-XVII centuries) in the economic thought of Western
Europe is undergoing significant changes caused by a deep process of development of manufactory production. The great geographical discoveries, the robbery of the colonies accelerated the process of capital accumulation.

During this period, social utopias arise. One of the founders of utopian socialism was Thomas More (1478-1532), an outstanding humanist thinker, politician of Tudor England, who was executed for his opposition to absolutism (he refused to take the oath to the king as the head of the church). The son of a wealthy judge and himself a lawyer by training, More held high government positions. But despite this, he sympathized with the misfortunes of the masses.

More sharply criticized the social orders prevailing in England, the methods of primitive accumulation of capital. He saw the root cause of poverty in private property, and acted as its opponent.

More was the first critic of capitalism. More's views did not represent a special scientific theory. They were just dreams.

Among the early representatives of utopian socialism is the Italian thinker Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639), who came from the poor peasantry. He is known as an active participant in the struggle for the liberation of southern Italy from the oppression of the Spanish monarchy. Once in the hands of enemies, Campanella spent 27 years in casemates. There he wrote his famous essay City of the Sun (1623), in which he sharply criticized the social system of Italy at that time.

In it, Campanella put forward a project for an ideal utopian state - the city of the Sun, the basis of which was the community of property. Reflecting the traditions of the economic thought of the Middle Ages, he was guided by a subsistence economy. The society of the future was drawn to him as a set of agricultural communities, in which all citizens are involved.
Campanella recognized the individuality of housing and the family, the universality of labor, and rejected the thesis that after the abolition of property, no one would work. Consumption in the city of the Sun, he believed, would be public with an abundance of material goods, poverty would disappear. Relations between people should be based on the principles of friendship, comradely cooperation and mutual understanding.

However, neither a utopian state with unusual orders, which manifested the historical limitations of their economic projects T. More, nor
T. Campanella did not know the real paths to the new society. They limited themselves to description.

II. Successors of utopian socialism

Expressing the dreams of the nascent proletariat about the future of society, the great utopian socialists Henri Claude, Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, and Robert Owen made denunciatory critiques of capitalism. The great utopians made a valuable contribution to economics by pointing out for the first time the historically transient character of capitalism, noting that capitalist relations are not eternal and natural. They considered the development of human society as a historical process in which the previous stage is replaced by another, more highly developed one. Representatives of utopian socialism, wrote V.I. Lenin, “looked in the same direction where real development was going; they were ahead of this development.”

In their projects for the future justice of the social system, the utopian socialists foresaw many features of a socialist society, did not limit themselves to the demand for the reorganization of consumption and distribution, but came up with the idea of transforming production itself. They called the ideal social system in different ways.

2.1. Saint Simon

In Western Europe, at the end of the 17th - beginning of the 19th century, manufactory dominated, and factory production was just in its infancy. The material conditions of capitalism and the formation of the proletariat as a special working class were at an early stage. The proletariat was still a fragmented mass and was not ready for independent action, it acted as an ally of the bourgeoisie in the struggle against the remnants of absolute monarchy and feudal exploitation. Under these conditions, socialism and the labor movement developed independently, in isolation from each other.

Utopian socialists did not see real ways of transition to a society of social justice, they did not understand the historical mission of the proletariat, although they noted the opposition of class interests. They looked upon the proletariat as an oppressed, suffering mass. They considered their task to be the development of consciousness, the promotion of their ideas, their implementation by creating a commune, a “phalanstere” or “fair exchange bazaars”.
The imperfection and inconsistency of the socialist theories of the utopians corresponded to immature capitalist production and undeveloped class relations. Since the material conditions for the emancipation of the working people had not yet been created, the representatives of utopian socialism put forward fantastic projects for a future society. They placed themselves above the classes, declaring that they reflected the interests of all members of society, but appealed to the ruling classes in promoting their projects. They rejected political struggle and revolution, relying on the transformation of society through propaganda and agitation of the ideas of social justice. This was the utopianism of ideas. However, despite the limitations of utopian socialism, in the period of the formation of capitalism it was a progressive doctrine, reflecting the aspirations of the nascent proletariat, and was one of the sources of Marxism.

The future just society Saint-Simon called the industrial system. He believed that an industrial society would develop on the basis of large-scale industrial production, industry - according to a certain plan, and management - carried out from a single center by industrialists. Plans for the development of industrial production and distribution of products will be drawn up by scientists; industrial capitalists, having rich experience, will lead the organization of management, and the workers will directly work on the implementation of the developed plans. By creating a new public organization, Saint-Simon intended to achieve the elimination of the anarchy of production and the establishment of planning and centralism in the management of the economy.

In his industrial system, Saint-Simon maintained capitalist property while opposing landowners and usurers. But the capitalists, in his opinion, will work in the "golden age", organizing labor. He believed that they would have no power, and naively assumed the voluntary transformation of the capitalist-owner into the capitalist-worker. For the capitalist, Saint-Simon also retained the right to receive unearned income as a reward for capital, but in general his social utopia was directed against the domination of the bourgeoisie, and not to protect capitalist interests and the power of the technocracy, as supporters of the modern bourgeois theory of "industrial society" try to present. . Saint-Simon did not advocate "organized capitalism" but for organized labor and did not notice that capitalists can only organize labor in a capitalist way.

2.2. Charles Fourier

Describing the economic processes that he observed in the analysis of civilization, Fourier predicted the replacement of free competition by monopolies.
He even gave his own classification of monopolies, highlighting such types as colonial monopoly, simple maritime monopoly, cooperative, or monopoly of closed associations, state monopoly, or state administration.

Fourier, exposing civilization, showed the doom of the capitalist system, but, like other utopian socialists, he did not see real ways to a "harmonious society". He was an opponent of the revolution, a supporter of reforms, the transition to justice and the abolition of exploitation through agitation and example. Go to a new social system, believed
Fourier, it is possible by discovering the law on the basis of which society must live and develop. He claimed that it was he who discovered this law and that his
"the theory of fates will fulfill the demand of nations, providing abundance for everyone."

A just society, Fourier dreamed, would consist of associations of producers (phalanxes) created without coercion, based on the principle of satisfying the needs of all people. This society, in his opinion, should be classless, harmonious. With the establishment of "universal unity," he wrote, poverty, injustice and war will disappear. Each phalanx will occupy a certain land plot, on which its members will produce products, and then distribute it themselves. Farming according to plan
Fourier must become the basis of the future system, and industry must play a subordinate role. This was the manifestation of Fourier's petty-bourgeois illusions. In the phalanx, he retained private property and capital, and the distribution was partially to be carried out according to capital. But Fourier believed that this would not bring any harm, because all the workers would become capitalists, and the capitalists would become workers. Thus, through reforms, Fourier erroneously assumed the establishment of a classless society.

2.3. Robert Owen

Along with private property, the cause of the contradiction between labor and capital, Owen declared the existence of money as an artificial measure of value. He proposes to destroy money and introduce the equivalent of labor costs - "labor money". The project of "working money" showed that Owen did not understand the essence of the category of value as a spokesman for the social relations of commodity producers. Since value is a social category, it cannot be measured directly by labor time, it can only be expressed in relation to commodities one to another. Owen tried to implement the project
“working money”, organizing the “Fair Exchange Bazaar”, which quickly became overstocked with slow-moving goods, and those goods that could therefore be profitably sold on the market were taken according to receipts. The "Fair Exchange Bazaar" quickly disintegrated, unable to withstand the onslaught of the capitalist elements.

Bibliography

1. The history of economic doctrines of the modern stage. Textbook / Ed. A G

Khudokormrva, M.: INFRA M 1998

2. Yadgarov Ya.S. History of Economic Thought. Textbook for high schools. 2nd edition - M.: Infra-M, 1997

3. Mayburg E.M. Introduction to the history of economic thought. From prophets to professors. - M.: Case, Vita - press, 1996

4. Titova N.E. History of Economic Thought. Course of lectures - M: Humanite.

Publishing house center VLADOS, 1997

5. Agapova I.I. History of economic doctrines - M.: ViM, 1997.

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Utopian socialism- accepted in the historical and philosophical literature, the designation that preceded Marxism, the doctrine of the possibility of transforming society on socialist principles, of its fair structure. The main role in the development and implementation in society of ideas about the construction of socialist relations in a non-violent way, only by the power of propaganda and example, was played by the intelligentsia and layers close to it.

Utopian socialism in antiquity

The first ideas about a more just society most likely originated at the stage of the division of society into classes and the emergence of property inequality. Traces of such views are found in the study of both folklore and mythology of the peoples of Asia, Europe and North Africa.

Pre-socialism in the Middle Ages

During the reign of feudal economic relations, views close to utopian-socialist ones were formed primarily on religious grounds and poured out in the form of numerous heresies - the Waldensians, Begards, Taborites, Cathars, Lollards, Apostolic brothers, Anabaptists and others, explaining the emergence of social and property inequality primarily by the apostasy of the church and the ruling classes from the true ideals of early Christianity. Despite the religious form of heresies, they had a specific economic content, expressed in the expectation of the common good and happiness of people, the onset of the “millennium kingdom”, propagated relations characteristic of the first Christian communities. In some of these sects, the ideals of the gospel teaching were resurrected and self-governing communities were created with ascetic equalization in consumption and joint housekeeping. In rare cases, this peasant religious communism developed into an armed social movement, as happened in the late Middle Ages in the Czech Republic, during the Hussite Wars (Taborites) and in Germany, during the Peasant War of the 16th century (T. Müntzer).

In the XVI-XVII centuries, with the beginning of the era of the primitive accumulation of capital, a literature of a utopian nature arose. The founder of utopian socialism is the English humanist writer Thomas More. His main work is "The Golden Book, as useful as it is funny, about the best organization of the state and about the new island of Utopia" (1516). In the book, the author showed the imperfection of the existing system, the calamities of the peasants, the cause of which he saw in private property. He created the ideal state of Utopia, in which public property, social production, and fair distribution dominate. All residents of Utopia are required to work, and in their spare time to study the sciences and arts. Everything produced is public property, and the abundance of material goods allows them to be distributed according to needs. The political system is based on democracy.

In Italy a famous proponent of utopian socialism was Tommaso Campanella. In his book City of the Sun (1623), Campanella, like More, created an ideal state in which public property dominates, and all benefits are distributed equally among the inhabitants.

The ideas of the first More and Campanella are socialist, because their authors understood the connection between social inequality and private property. They chanted big cities, a leading role in the creation of a new system, they assigned the state in the person of a great politician, conqueror, thinker, acting with the help of propaganda and example.

Utopian socialism in modern times

One of the first utopian socialists of modern times were the Englishmen J. Winstanley and John Bellers. In France, the social utopias of the 17th-18th centuries usually took the form of fictional travel novels, where the idealized society of virtuous natives was opposed to the complete injustice of European society (H. de Foigny, d'Alle, Guedeville and others). In the 18th century, J. Mellier preached the revolutionary overthrow of oppression and exploitation, who stood on the positions of communal patriarchal communism. For many communist writings of the same century, the underlying motive was the Enlightenment theory of "sameness natural nature"humanity" and the resulting "equality of rights" for all people. Based on these ideas, Morelli and G. Mably justified communism in terms of natural law theory.

The utopian socialism of the Enlightenment proclaimed the human right to work and the obligation of labor for all, social justice in the distribution of funds, and the transformation of land into public property. During the years of the French Revolution, these ideas of moral socialism were politicized. Supporters of egalitarian (leveling) utopian ideas demanded a general egalitarian redistribution of the land, limitation of property rights and their subordination to the needs of society (“Mads”). With the further deepening of the revolution, the radicalization of the views of utopian revolutionaries took place: from the naive first projects on the peaceful legislative introduction of communal communism in France to plans for communist transformations with the help of the sans-culottes revolutionary dictatorship (F. Boissel). The quintessence of the development of radical utopianism was the views of Gracchus Babeuf and the Babouvist program of conspiracy of equals, who for the first time put forward the demand for a communist revolution with the introduction of a communist dictatorship after its victory and substantiated the need for a transition period from capitalism to communism. Expressing the views of people of the pre-machine era, babuvism showed the ideal of a communist society as an agrarian and handicraft society, developing on the basis of manual labor, offered strict equalization in distribution, universal asceticism, showed negative attitude to people of intellectual labor.

Utopian socialism in the nineteenth century

In the first half of the 19th century, the movement for the implementation of socialist ideals was led by intellectuals, from among whom came the great utopians C. A. Saint-Simon, C. Fourier, R. Owen - “the founders of socialism”, according to F. Engels, who first developed an independent theory utopian socialism into a genuine science that replaced the bankrupt revolutionary metaphysics of the theory of "natural law". In the question of the transformation of society, the creation of large-scale social production using latest achievements science and technology. Overcoming the usual notions of leveling and general asceticism under communism, the utopians put forward the principle of distribution “according to abilities”, portrayed the future society as a society of abundance, ensuring the satisfaction of human needs, the unlimited growth of productive forces and the flourishing of the individual. The utopian socialists talked about the coming destruction of the difference between mental and physical labor, between town and country, about the planning of production, about the transformation of the state from an organ for managing people into an organ for managing production, and so on.

At the same time, the sad outcome of the Great French Revolution testified to the failure of the actions of the revolutionary masses, to the defining mission of the thinking minority and strong-willed decisions. individuals. Without denying the impact on public life rationalistic ideas of the spiritual world, at the same time, utopian socialists revived religious ideas - the "new Christianity" of Saint-Simon; pantheistic metaphysics and mystical explanation of the nature of human passions and inclinations in Fourier; a new moral world, re-educating people with the help of a rational socialist religion in Owen.

At this time, movements arose among the followers of socialism - Saint-Simonism (B. P. Anfantin, S. A. Bazaar and others), Fourierism (V. Consideran), Owenism. The attempts made in the 20-40s of the 19th century to create Owenist communist colonies in England and the USA, as well as more numerous experiments in the formation of Fourierist phalanx associations in the USA, after short-term successes, ended in constant failure. The same fate befell the "Icarian" colonies of E. Kabe. In total, there were more than 40 attempts to create Fourierist phalanxes in the USA. The most famous - Brookfarm, near Boston, lasted from 1846 to 1846.

In the 1830s and 1840s, several trends crystallized among the socialists. One developed projects for productive associations (B. Busche, L. Blanc, K. Pekker, P. Leroux and others) or associations of equivalent commodity exchange (J. Gray, P. J. Proudhon) and considered them as the main means of fighting against big capital and reorganization of society by peaceful means on the basis of class cooperation. Another trend, the English Ricardian socialists (W. Thompson, D. F. Bray and others) declared surplus value the fruit of an unfair exchange between labor and capital, and to eliminate this injustice, they put forward an economically unfounded theory of receipt by workers " complete product their labour." Nevertheless, in England this trend indirectly contributed to the development of the Chartist movement.

In the midst of the secret revolutionary societies of Europe in the 30s and 40s of the 19th century, the teachings of neo-Babouvist communism were created, with its demand for an immediate communist reorganization through a revolutionary coup and the introduction of a revolutionary dictatorship that introduced the community of property. In France, these views were shared by T. Desami, J. J. Piyo, O. Blanqui, A. Lapponere and others. The use by the theorists of socialism and communism of this time of some ideas of utopian socialism allowed them to make important step from equalizing principles to the communist principle "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need." In the works of Desami and W. Weitling, the theory of utopian communism reached its pinnacle.

Utopian socialism in Russia

The forerunners of the ideas of utopian socialism in Russia in the late 18th and early 19th centuries were A. N. Radishchev and P. I. Pestel. These ideas became especially widespread in the 1930s and 1940s. The socialist views of A. I. Herzen and N. P. Ogaryov, which arose under the influence of the works of Saint-Simon and Fourier, marked the beginning of the socialist tradition in Russian social thought.

In the 1840s, among the most prominent representatives of Russian pre-Marxist socialism, we see A. I. Herzen, N. P. Ogaryov, V. G. Belinsky, M. V. Petrashevsky, V. A. Milyutin. They understood the essence of the socialist doctrine as an anthropological idea of nature, the full realization of which only socialism can be, and the historical dialectic of the world mind, understood as the spirit of man, initially striving for the order of brotherhood and equality.

Notes

Literature

Volgin V.P. Essays on the history of socialist ideas from antiquity to the end of the 18th century (Moscow: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. 1975)
Volgin V.P. The Development of Social Thought in France in the 18th Century (Moscow: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. 1958)
Volgin V.P. French Utopian Communism (Moscow: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. 1960)
Volgin V.P. Social and political ideas in France before the revolution (Moscow: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. 1940)
Volgin V.P. Saint-Simon and Saint-Simonism (Moscow: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. 1961)
Volgin V.P. Revolutionary communist of the 18th century. Jean Mellier and his Testament. 1918
Volgin V.P. Essays on the history of socialist ideas. The first half of the 19th century (M.: Nauka. 1976)
Ioannisyan A. R. Communist Ideas during the Great French Revolution (M.: Nauka. 1966)
Paul Louis. French utopians: Louis Blanc, Vidal, Pecker, Cabet, with excerpts from their works / Translated from French. E. Ya. Uspenskaya, ed. and with preface. M. Zelikmana (M.: Krasnaya nov, Glavpolitprosvet. 1923)
Kautsky K. "Predecessors newest socialism", vol. 1-2 Moscow-Leningrad 1924-25
Plekhanov G. V. "Utopian socialism of the 19th century", Moscow 1958
Volodin A. I. "The Beginning of Socialist Thought in Russia", Moscow 1966
Mannheim K. "Ideologie und Utopie", Frankfurt/Main 1952.
Economic theory / Ed. E. N. Lobacheva. - 2nd ed. - M .: Higher education, 2009. - 515 p. - ISBN 978-5-9692-0406-5

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Utopian socialism- dreams, projects and teachings about the radical transformation of society to the socialist. principles that are not based on knowledge of the objective laws of societies. development and its driving forces. The concept "W. With." comes from the title of Op. T. Mora "Utopia" (1516) ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

Utopian socialism- (from the Greek U not, no and topos a place, literally a place that does not exist) ideas about a society based on social equality, in which there is no exploitation and people get the opportunity for comprehensive development. The utopia of such an ideology ... ... Political science. Dictionary.

utopian socialism- [cm. utopia] - pre-Marxian socialist teachings (first appeared in the 16th - 17th centuries - Thomas More, Campanella), which built unrealistic plans for the reorganization of society on socialist principles, based not on the class struggle and the laws of development ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Utopian socialism- the doctrine of an ideal society based on the community of property, compulsory labor, fair distribution. The concept of Utopian socialism goes back to the work of T. Mora Utopia (1516). The largest representatives of utopian socialism: T. Müntzer, ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Utopian socialism- Utopian socialism, the doctrine of an ideal society based on the community of property, compulsory labor, fair distribution. The concept of utopian socialism goes back to the work of T. Mora Utopia (1516). The largest representatives: T. Münzer ... Modern Encyclopedia

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Utopian socialism- dreams, projects and teachings about the radical transformation of society on socialist principles, not based on knowledge of the laws of social development and its driving forces. The concept "W. With." comes from the title of T. More's work "Utopia" ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Utopian socialism- previous scientific communism theory and doctrine of a radical transformation and a fair structure of society on the socialist. principles that are not based on knowledge of the laws of societies. development and its driving forces. ... The original socialism was ... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia

utopian socialism- a general designation established in the literature for heterogeneous ideas about an ideal society based on the community of property, compulsory labor, and fair distribution. The concept of "utopian socialism" goes back to the work of T. Mora "Utopia" ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Utopian socialism- (Greek u no, topos a place, that is, a place that does not exist) a set of social teachings in which the desire to establish a new type of society was expressed in an immature form, where there is no exploitation of man by man and all other forms ... ... Scientific Communism: A Dictionary, B. Slivker. This book will be produced in accordance with your order using Print-on-Demand technology. The monograph is devoted to the history of the development of utopian thought in Western Europe in the XVIII-XIX centuries: ...

Utopian Socialism - (from the Greek. U not, no, and topos - a place, literally a place that does not exist) - ideas about a society based on social equality, in which there is no exploitation and people get the opportunity for comprehensive development. The utopian nature of such an ideology lies in the fact that it cannot be translated into reality in this form. Utopian socialism can be interpreted as an ideology that contains certain values that its carriers are oriented towards, and technologies that politicians, the carriers of these values, strive to implement. The values of utopian socialism include the ideals of equality, overcoming the social and political alienation of members of society, the destruction of the exploitation of man by man, creating opportunities for all-round development, harmonious socialization regardless of gender and marital status, nationality and ethnicity, etc. These ideals are universal in nature , to such a relationship, as people hope, social development is moving, therefore these ideals are attractive to everyone normal people and there is a high degree of probability that sooner or later they will turn into forms of real life. There is no particular utopianism in such an ideology of socialism. At the same time, such ideals were expressed not only in socialist ideology, but also, for example, in Christian evangelism and in many other ideologies. Along with values, utopian theories contain a more or less developed technology for creating and maintaining these relations of equality. Since the theories of socialism grow up on the basis of criticism and denial of existing socio-political relations, they solve the question of the forms of the new society in different ways. In Christian socialism, the basis is the spiritual perfection of man. The development of the soul of believers contributes to the creation of an atmosphere of love for God and all people. Faith, Hope and Love, combined with the pursuit of perfection in life in order to win the right to an exalted existence in eternal life after death, is the basis for religious socialism. People, according to this teaching, will not be so attached to material goods and carnal desires, they will voluntarily work for the benefit of all. Similar relationships existed to a limited extent in early Christian communities, where believers voluntarily renounced private property. Later, relations with elements of social equality were observed in individual Christian communities - among the followers of saints and ascetics of the church, in monasteries, sects, etc. The development of industrial relations reduced the economic role of religion, its functions were concentrated in the spiritual sphere. Therefore, the realization of socialism on religious basis currently hardly possible. The beginnings of wage labor in the era of modern times led to an attempt to overcome class relations in the form of socialism. The founder of utopian socialism can be considered the Englishman Thomas More. In his work "Utopia" (1516), views on the society of the "golden age" were outlined. His followers include T. Campanella, J. Winstanley, G. Babeuf, C. Saint-Simon, C. Fourier, R. Owen, V.G. Belinsky, A.I. Herzen, N.G. Chernyshevsky and many others. The writings of the utopian socialists contain a brilliant critique of the shortcomings of feudal and capitalist society in Europe and Russia. They contain many ideals. In addition, they express a number of considerations about the structure of socialist society, which are deservedly considered quite real anticipations in the field of socio-political structure. One of the brightest ideologists of socialism, T. Campanella, wrote that the main task of the socialist state would be the function of organizing production and distribution, as well as educating citizens. He proposed to involve science and scientists in political management, while relying on political activity people. The socialists insisted on a centralized system of planned economy, the transfer of the center of politics from managing people to managing production and things. They believed that in this case politics and the state would begin to wither away, and socialism would awaken the enthusiasm of people: they would rely on reason, and not on base passions. The ideologists of the society of equal rights hoped that society would become collectivist, there would be no private property, everyone would work and actually have equality in rights and duties, education would be harmonious, polytechnical, highly moral, etc. As we can see, the representatives of utopian socialism expressed a number of lofty ideas, believed in the embodiment of many ideals of humanity, which strives for a harmonious life on earth, and not in the other world. At the same time, the ideas of utopian socialism are contradictory. They could not have been different, since the ideologists tried to combine incompatible social and political aspects in the content of socialism. Utopian socialism was criticized both by representatives of the bourgeois ideology and by Marxists, who claimed to be theoretical socialists. Marx came to the conclusion that all ideologists before him tried to rely on ideology, and not on real public relations in the construction of an ideal society. He tried theoretically, in a scientific form, to prove that the only political actual class that carries the content of future relations is the proletariat. Therefore, the proletarians of all countries will unite, achieve the overcoming of private ownership of the means of production, take power into their own hands, and establish the dictatorship of the proletariat. The proletarian state, according to Marx, will assume the role of organizer of the liquidation of bourgeois relations, will in every possible way contribute to the all-round development of the members of society. In this society, the entire population that can work will create material wealth and perform all other managerial and cultural functions. All people in this society will produce commodities, as well as participate in their distribution. An attempt to translate the ideas of Marx into reality was carried out in Russia under the leadership of Lenin. communist party, which was the main subject of management of Soviet society, declared in 1936 that socialism had been built in the USSR. After the end of World War II, a number of other countries recognized themselves as officially socialist. Since 1985, as post-socialist reforms were unfolding in the countries of already former socialism, the restoration of those relations that are considered capitalist in Marxism-Leninism began. At the same time in developed countries West deployment of scientific and technological progress by the end of XX century. led to a sharp reduction in the proletariat class. The increase in labor productivity has allowed society to reduce the number of people employed in industry to about 15%. Consequently, we can conclude that at present the proletariat is no longer the content-leading class of society, as it was in the 19th century. And this circumstance means that the ideals of socialism can be realized by other social forces. This means that Marxism-Leninism can also be largely considered a utopia.