Utopian socialism basic ideas. Utopian socialists of the 18th

Karl Marx
Friedrich Engels
Rosa Luxemburg
Vladimir Lenin
Leon Trotsky
Joseph Stalin
Mao Zedong
Ho Chi Minh
Symbolism Symbols of the communist movement Related Articles Anarchism

Utopian socialism- a designation adopted in historical and philosophical literature that preceded Marxism, the doctrine of the possibility of transforming society on socialist principles, of its just structure. The main role in the development and introduction into society of ideas about building socialist relations in a non-violent manner, only through the power of propaganda and example, was played by the intelligentsia and layers close to it.

Utopian socialism in ancient times

The first ideas about a more just society most likely arose at the stage of dividing society into classes and the emergence of property inequality. Traces of similar 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 dominance of feudal economic relations, views close to utopian-socialist ones were formed primarily on religious grounds and resulted in the form of numerous heresies - Waldensians, Begards, Taborites, Cathars, Lollards, Apostolic Brothers, Anabaptists and others, which explained 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 advent of the “millennium,” and promoted relationships characteristic of the first Christian communities. In some of these sects, the ideals of the Gospel teachings were resurrected and self-governing communities were created with ascetic egalitarianism in consumption and joint farming. On rare occasions, this peasant religious communism developed into armed social movement, as happened in the late Middle Ages in the Czech Republic, during the Hussite Wars (Taborites) and in Germany, during the Peasants' War of the 16th century (T. Münzer).

In the 16th-17th centuries, with the beginning of the era of primitive accumulation of capital, literature of a utopian nature arose. Forefather utopian socialism The English humanist writer Thomas More is considered. His main work is “The Golden Book, as useful as it is funny, about the best structure of the state and about the new island of Utopia” (1516). In the book, the author showed the imperfections of the existing system, the misfortunes 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 prevail. All residents of Utopia are required to work, and free time study science and art. Everything produced is a 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 “The City of the Sun” (1623), Campanella, like More, created an ideal state in which public property reigns 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 of social inequality with private property. They sang big cities, A main role in the creation of a new system, they were assigned to 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 Bellairs. In France, social utopias of the 17th-18th centuries resulted, as a rule, in the form of artistic travel novels, where an idealized society of virtuous natives was contrasted with a European society full of injustice (G. de Foigny, d'Allais, Guedeville and others). In the 18th century, J. Meslier, who stood on the position of communal patriarchal communism, preached the revolutionary overthrow of oppression and exploitation. Much of the communist writings of the same century were motivated by 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 from the point of view of the theory of natural law.

Utopian socialism of the Enlightenment proclaimed the human right to work and the obligatory nature of work for everyone, social justice in the distribution of funds, and the transformation of land into public property. During the Great French Revolution, these ideas of moral socialism were politicized. Supporters of egalitarian (equalizing) utopian ideas demanded a general egalitarian redistribution of land, restrictions on property rights and their subordination to the needs of society (“Mad Ones”). With the further deepening of the revolution, there was a radicalization of the views of utopian revolutionaries: from naive first projects about the peaceful legislative introduction of communal communism in France - to plans for communist transformations with the help of a sans-culotte revolutionary dictatorship (F. Boisselle). The quintessence of the development of radical utopianism were the views of Gracchus Babeuf and the Babouvist program of the conspiracy of equals, who first 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, Babouvism showed the ideal of a communist society as an agrarian and craft society, developing on the basis of manual labor; in distribution it proposed strict egalitarianism, general asceticism, and demonstrated negative attitude to people of mental work.

Utopian socialism in the 19th 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 K. 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, replacing the bankrupt revolutionary metaphysics of the theory of “natural law”. On the issue of transforming society, the first place was given to the creation of large social production using latest achievements science and technology. Overcoming the usual ideas about egalitarianism and general asceticism under communism, the utopians put forward the principle of distribution “according to ability”, depicted the future society as a society of abundance, ensuring the satisfaction of human needs, limitless growth of productive forces and the flourishing of personality. Utopian socialists spoke about the coming destruction of the difference between mental and physical labor, between city and countryside, about production planning, about the transformation of the state from a body governing people into a body governing 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 social 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 that re-educates 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. Enfantin, S. A. Bazar and others), Fourierism (V. Considerant), Owenism. The attempts made in the 20s to 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 collapse. The same fate befell the “Icarian” colonies of E. Cabet. In total, there were more than 40 attempts to create Fourierist phalanxes in the United States. The most famous - Brookfarm, near Boston, existed from 1846 to 1846.

In the 1830s and 40s, several trends crystallized among socialists. One developed projects of productive associations (B. Buchet, L. Blanc, C. Peccoeur, P. Leroux and others) or associations of equivalent commodity exchange (J. Gray, P. J. Proudhon) and considered them as the main means of struggle against big capital and reorganization of society peacefully on the basis of class cooperation. Another movement, the English socialists-Ricardians (W. Thompson, D. F. Bray and others) declared surplus value to be the fruit of an unfair exchange between labor and capital, and to eliminate this injustice they put forward an economically unjustified theory of workers receiving “ complete product their labor." Nevertheless, in England this movement indirectly contributed to the development of the Chartist movement.

Among the secret revolutionary societies of Europe in the 30s and 40s of the 19th century, the doctrines of neo-Bubbouvist communism were created, with its demand for immediate communist reorganization through a revolutionary coup and the introduction of a revolutionary dictatorship introducing community of property. In France, these views were shared by T. Desami, J. J. Pillot, O. Blanqui, A. Lapponere and others. The use of some ideas of utopian socialism by the theorists of socialism and communism of this time allowed them to make important step from egalitarian principles to the communist principle “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” In the works of Desami and V. Weitling, the theory of utopian communism reached its peak.

Utopian socialism in Russia

The predecessors of the ideas of utopian socialism in Russia in late XVII I - early XIX centuries were A. N. Radishchev and P. I. Pestel. These ideas became especially widespread in the 30s and 40s. The socialist views of A. I. Herzen and N. P. Ogarev, which arose under the influence of the works of Saint-Simon and Fourier, laid the foundation for 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. Ogarev, V. G. Belinsky, M. V. Petrashevsky, V. A. Milyutin. They understood the essence of socialist teaching as the anthropological idea of nature, the full realization of which only socialism can be, and the historical dialectic of world reason, understood as the spirit of man, initially striving for a system of fraternity 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 USSR Academy of Sciences. 1975)
Volgin V. P. The development of social thought in France in the 18th century (Moscow: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 1958)
Volgin V. P. French utopian communism (Moscow: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 1960)
Volgin V. P. Social and political ideas in France before the revolution (Moscow: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 1940)
Volgin V. P. Saint-Simon and Saint-Simonism (Moscow: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 1961)
Volgin V. P. Revolutionary communist of the 18th century. Jean Meslier 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 years of the Great French Revolution (M.: Nauka. 1966)
Paul Louis. French Utopians: Louis Blanc, Vidal, Pequer, Cabet, with excerpts from their works / Translation from French. E. Ya. Uspenskaya, ed. and with a preface. M. Zelikman (M.: Krasnaya Nov, Glavpolitprosvet. 1923)
Kautsky K. “Predecessors modern 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

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Burnt by the Sun 2
Utopia (disambiguation)

See what “Utopian socialism” is in other dictionaries:

UTOPIAN SOCIALISM- dreams, projects and teachings about the radical transformation of society into a socialist one. principles that are not based on knowledge of the objective laws of societies. development and its driving forces. The concept of "U. With." comes from the title of Op. T. Mora “Utopia” (1516) ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

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

utopian socialism- [cm. utopia] - pre-Marxist socialist teachings (first arose in the 16th - 17th centuries - Thomas More, Campanella), which built unrealizable plans for the reconstruction of society on a socialist basis, not based on the class struggle and the laws of development... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

UTOPIAN SOCIALISM- doctrines of an ideal society based on community of property, compulsory labor, fair distribution. The concept of Utopian socialism goes back to the work of T. More Utopia (1516). Largest representatives utopian socialism: T. Münzer,... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

UTOPIAN SOCIALISM- UTOPIAN SOCIALISM, doctrines of an ideal society based on community of property, compulsory labor, fair distribution. The concept of utopian socialism goes back to the work of T. More Utopia (1516). Major representatives: T. Münzer... Modern encyclopedia

Utopian socialism- UTOPIAN SOCIALISM, doctrines of an ideal society based on community of property, compulsory labor, fair distribution. The concept of “utopian socialism” goes back to the work of T. More “Utopia” (1516). Largest representatives: T.... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

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

UTOPIAN SOCIALISM- previous scientific communism, theories and teachings about the radical transformation and fair structure of society into a socialist one. 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 community of property, compulsory labor, and fair distribution. The concept of “utopian socialism” goes back to the work of T. More “Utopia”... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Utopian socialism- (Greek u no, topos place, i.e. a place that does not exist) a set of social teachings in which the desire to establish a new type of society, where there is no exploitation of man by man and all other forms, is expressed in a still immature form... ... Scientific communism: 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 18th-19th centuries:...

I. The emergence of utopian socialism 2

II. Continuers 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 Western economic thought

Europe is undergoing significant changes caused by a profound process

development of manufacturing production. Great geographical discoveries,

the robbery of the colonies accelerated the process of capital accumulation.

During this period, social utopias arise. One of the founders

utopian socialism was Thomas More (1478-1532), an outstanding thinker

humanist, politician of Tudor England, executed for opposition

absolutism (refused to take the oath to the king as the head of the church). Son

a wealthy judge and himself a lawyer by training, More occupied high

government positions. But despite this, he sympathized with the disasters

which laid the foundation for utopian socialism and gave it its name.

More sharply criticized the prevailing social

procedures, methods of initial capital accumulation. The root cause

he saw the emergence of poverty in private property, advocated it

enemy.

More was the first critic of capitalism. More's views did not represent

special scientific theory. These were just dreams.

Among the early representatives of utopian socialism is

Italian thinker Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639), who came from among

poor peasantry. He is known as an active participant in the struggle for

liberation of southern Italy from the yoke of the Spanish monarchy. Once in your hands

enemies, Campanella spent 27 years in casemates. There he wrote his

the famous essay "City of the Sun" (1623), in which he subjected

criticism of 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

traditions of economic thought of the Middle Ages, he focused on the economy

natural type. The society of the future was pictured to him as a totality

agricultural communities, in which all citizens are involved in work.

Campanella recognized the individuality of housing and family, the universality of work,

rejected the thesis that after the abolition of property no one will

work. Consumption in the city of the Sun, he believed, would be public

abundance of material goods, poverty will disappear. Relationships between people should

be based on the principles of friendship, comradely cooperation and

mutual understanding.

However, there is no utopian state with unusual orders, in which

their historical limitations have become apparent economic projects T. More, nor

T. Campanella did not know the real paths to a new society. They limited themselves

description.

II. Continuers of utopian socialism

Expressing the dreams of the nascent proletariat about the future society, the great

utopian socialists Henri Claude, Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier and Robert Owen

made a revealing critique of capitalism. The great utopians introduced

valuable contribution to economic science, for the first time pointing out the historical

the transitory nature of capitalism, noting that capitalist relations

are not eternal and natural. The development of human society they

viewed as historical process, in which the change occurs

the preceding stage is another, more highly developed. Representatives

utopian socialism, wrote V.I. Lenin, “they looked in the same direction as

there was real development; they were ahead of this development.”

The classics of bourgeois political economy considered capitalism eternal

and natural structure. In contrast to them, the utopian socialists revealed

the vices and ulcers of capitalism, its contradictions, pointing to poverty and misery

of the working masses. Criticizing the capitalist mode of production, the great

utopian socialists declared that it should be replaced by such

a social order that will bring happiness to all members of society. Their

criticism of capitalism was sharp and angry, contributed to enlightenment

workers and preparing conditions for the perception of the ideas of scientific socialism.

In their projects for future justice social system socialists-

The utopians foresaw many features of a socialist society, not

were limited to the requirement to reorganize consumption and distribution, and

came up with the idea of transforming production itself. Ideal

They called the social system differently.

2.1. Saint-Simon

So Saint-Simon called it industrialism, Fourier - harmony, Owen -

communism. But they all proceeded from the absence of exploitation, elimination

opposition 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 at the end of the 17th - beginning of the 19th centuries, it was dominated by

manufacture, and factory production was just in its infancy. Material

conditions of capitalism and the formation of the proletariat as a special working class

were at an early stage. The proletariat was still fragmented

mass and was not ready for independent actions, acted as an ally

bourgeoisie in the fight against the remnants absolute monarchy and feudal

operation. 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 society

social justice, did not understand the historical mission of the proletariat,

although they noted the opposition of class interests. They are for the proletariat

looked upon as an oppressed, suffering mass. They considered it their task

development of consciousness, propaganda of one’s ideas, bringing them to life through

creating communes, "phalansteries" 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 liberation

workers had not yet been created, representatives of utopian socialism

put forward fantastic projects for the future society. They placed themselves above

classes, declaring that they reflect the interests of all members of society, but

appealed to the ruling classes in the propaganda of their projects. They

rejected political struggle and revolution, hoping for transformation

society through propaganda and agitation of the ideas of social justice. In that

and utopianism consisted of ideas. However, despite the limitations

utopian socialism, during the formation of capitalism it was

progressive teaching, reflecting the aspirations of the emerging proletariat, and

was one of the sources of Marxism.

Saint-Simon called the future just society industrial

system. He believed that industrial society would develop based on

large-scale industrial production, industry - according to a certain

plan, and management is carried out from a single center by industrialists. Plans

development of industrial production and distribution of products will be

compiled by scientists; industrial capitalists, having rich experience, will

lead the management organization, and workers directly work

over the implementation of 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 economic management.

In his industrial system, Saint-Simon maintained capitalist

property, opposing landowners and moneylenders. But also

capitalists, in his opinion, will work in the “golden age”, organizing

work. He believed that they would have no power, and naively

assumed the voluntary transformation of the capitalist owner into a capitalist

hard worker Saint-Simon also retained the right to receive unearned benefits for the capitalist.

income as a reward for capital, but overall his social utopia was

directed against the rule of the bourgeoisie, and not at the defense of capitalist

interests and power of technocracy, as its supporters try to portray

modern bourgeois theory of “industrial society”. Saint-Simon

did not stand for “organized capitalism”, but for organized labor and not

noticed that capitalists can organize labor only in

capitalistically.

2.2. Charles Fourier

Describing economic processes which he observed during analysis

civilization, Fourier predicted the replacement of free competition with 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

control.

Fourier, exposing civilization, showed doom

capitalist system, but, like other utopian socialists, did not see

real paths to a “harmonious society”. He was an opponent of the revolution,

supporter of reforms, transition to justice and elimination of exploitation

through agitation and example. Move to a new social system, he believed

Fourier, it is possible by discovering the law on the basis of which society should live

and develop. He stated that it was he who discovered this law and that he

“the theory of destinies will fulfill the demand of nations, ensuring abundance for everyone.”

A just society, Fourier dreamed, would consist of associations

producers (phalanxes), created without coercion, based on the principle

meeting the needs of all people. This society, in his opinion, should

to be classless, harmonious. With the establishment of “universal unity,” he wrote

he, poverty, injustice and war will disappear. Each phalanx will

occupy a certain land plot, on which its members will be

produce products and then distribute them themselves. Farming according to plan

Fourier must become the basis of the future system, and industry must play

subordinate role. This revealed Fourier's petty-bourgeois illusions. IN

to the phalanx he preserved private property and capital, and distribution

partly had to be carried out in terms of capital. But Fourier believed that this

will not bring any harm, because all workers will become capitalists, and

capitalists - workers. Thus, through reforms, Fourier mistakenly assumed

establish a classless society.

2.3. Robert Owen

Characteristic feature Owen's economic views are

that he, unlike the French utopian socialists who rejected

bourgeois political economy, based his theoretical

constructions on Ricardo's labor theory of value. He follows Ricardo

labor was declared the source of value. Owen from the theory of ore value

made a socialist conclusion, declaring that the product of labor should

belong to those who produce it.

Criticizing capitalism, he noted the contradiction between growth

production and shrinking consumption, which, in his opinion, is

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 socialist

labor organization.

Along with private property, the cause of the contradiction between labor and

capital Owen declared the existence of money as an artificial measure

cost. He proposes to destroy money and introduce the equivalent of labor

costs - “working money”. The "working money" project showed that Owen was not

commodity producers. Since value is a social category,

it cannot be measured directly by working time, it can be expressed

only in relation to goods to each other. Owen tried to implement the project

"working money" by organizing a "Fair Exchange Bazaar", which quickly

stocked up on slow-moving goods, and receipts were used to take those goods

which could therefore be sold profitably on the market. "Bazaar of fair

exchange" quickly collapsed, unable to withstand the onslaught of the capitalist elements.

Unlike petty-bourgeois capitalists, economists and others

utopian socialists, Owen, along with the “working money” project, proposed

carry out the reorganization of production and even tried to create the “Union

production." To organize such a union, the capitalists had to sell

means of production to trade unions. But nothing came of this intention,

since the capitalists did not even think about selling their enterprises, and

the trade unions did not have the means to do this.

Bibliography

1. History of economic doctrines modern stage. Textbook / Ed. A G

Khudokorrva, M.: INFRA M 1998

2. Yadgarov Y.S. History of Economic Thought. Textbook for universities. 2nd

edition - M.: Infra-M, 1997

professors. - M.: Delo, Vita - press, 1996

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

Publishing house VLADOS center, 1997

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

I. The emergence of utopian socialism. 2

II. Continuers 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), significant changes occurred in the economic thought of Western Europe, caused by the profound process of development of manufacturing production. Great geographical discoveries and the robbery of 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 and political figure in 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 prevailing social order in England and 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 did not represent a particular scientific theory. These were just dreams.

Among the early representatives of utopian socialism is the Italian thinker Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639), who came from among the poor peasantry. He is known as an active participant in the struggle for the liberation of Southern Italy from the yoke of the Spanish monarchy. Finding himself in the hands of enemies, Campanella spent 27 years in dungeons. 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 economic thought of the Middle Ages, he focused on subsistence farming. The society of the future was pictured to him as a set of agricultural communities, in which all citizens were involved in work. Campanella recognized the individuality of housing and family, the universality of work, 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 with an abundance of material goods, and 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 revealed the historical limitations of their economic projects, T. More, nor T. Campanella knew the real paths to a new society. They limited themselves to description.

II. Continuers of utopian socialism

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

The classics of bourgeois political economics considered capitalism to be an eternal and natural system. In contrast, 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 education of workers and prepared the conditions for the perception of the ideas of scientific socialism.

In their projects for the future justice of the social system, the utopian socialists foresaw many features of a socialist society; they 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 differently.

2.1. Saint-Simon

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

In Western Europe at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 19th centuries, manufacturing dominated, and factory production was just beginning. The material conditions of capitalism and the formation of the proletariat as a distinct 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 fight against the remnants of the 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, did not understand the historical mission of the proletariat, although they noted the opposition of class interests. They looked at the proletariat as an oppressed, suffering mass. They considered their task to be the development of consciousness, the propaganda of their ideas, and their implementation by creating a commune, a “phalanstery” or “fair exchange markets.” 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 liberation of the working people had not yet been created, representatives of utopian socialism put forward fantastic projects for a future society. They placed themselves above classes, declaring that they reflected the interests of all members of society, but in the propaganda of their projects they appealed to the ruling classes. 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, during the formation of capitalism it was a progressive teaching, reflecting the aspirations of the emerging proletariat, and was one of the sources of Marxism.

Saint-Simon called the future just society an industrial system. He believed that industrial society would develop on the basis of large-scale industrial production, industry - according to a specific 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 management organization, and 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 economic management.

In his industrial system, Saint-Simon maintained capitalist property, opposing landowners and moneylenders. But capitalists, in his opinion, will also work in the “golden age”, organizing labor. He believed that they would not have any power, and naively assumed the voluntary transformation of a capitalist owner into a 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 rule of the bourgeoisie, and not at protecting capitalist interests and the power of 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 organize labor only in a capitalist way.

2.2. Charles Fourier

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

Fourier, exposing civilization, showed the doom of the capitalist system, but, like other utopian socialists, he did not see real paths to a “harmonious society.” He was an opponent of the revolution, a supporter of reforms, the transition to justice and the destruction of exploitation through agitation and example. Fourier believed that the transition to a new social system could be achieved through the discovery of a law on the basis of which society should live and develop. He stated that it was he who discovered this law and that his “theory of destinies will fulfill the demand of nations, ensuring 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 and harmonious. With the establishment of “universal unity,” he wrote, poverty, injustice and war would disappear. Each phalanx will occupy a certain plot of land on which its members will produce products and then distribute them themselves. According to Fourier's plan, agriculture should become the basis of the future system, and industry should play a subordinate role. This revealed Fourier's petty-bourgeois illusions. In the phalanx he retained private property and capital, and distribution was partially to be carried out according to capital. But Fourier believed that this would not bring any harm, because all workers would become capitalists, and capitalists would become workers. Thus, through reforms, Fourier mistakenly assumed to establish a classless society.

2.3. Robert Owen

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

Criticizing capitalism, he noted the contradiction between the growth of production and 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, Owen declared the existence of money as an artificial measure of value to be the reason for the contradiction between labor and capital. He proposes to destroy money and introduce the equivalent of labor costs - “working money”. The “working money” project showed that Owen did not understand the essence of the category of value as an expression public relations commodity producers. Since value is a social category, it cannot be measured directly by labor time, it can only be expressed in relation to goods to each other. Owen tried to implement the “working money” project by organizing a “Fair Exchange Bazaar”, which quickly became overstocked with slow-moving goods, and receipts were taken for those goods that could therefore be sold profitably at the market. The “Fair Exchange Bazaar” quickly collapsed, unable to withstand the onslaught of the capitalist elements.

Unlike petty-bourgeois capitalist economists and other utopian socialists, Owen, along with the “working money” project, proposed a 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 about selling their enterprises, and the trade unions did not have the means to do this.

Bibliography

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

2. Yadgarov Y.S. History of Economic Thought. Textbook for universities. 2nd edition - M.: Infra-M, 1997

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

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

I. The emergence of utopian socialism. 2

II. Continuers of utopian socialism. 3

2.1. Saint-Simon. 4

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, political figure in Tudor England, executed for 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 prevailing social order in England and 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 did not represent a particular scientific theory. These were just dreams.

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

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

Saint-Simon called the future just society an industrial system. He believed that industrial society would develop on the basis of large-scale industrial production, industry - according to a specific 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 management organization, and 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 economic management.

Along with private property, Owen declared the existence of money as an artificial measure of value to be the reason for the contradiction between labor and capital. He proposes to destroy money and introduce the equivalent of labor costs - “working money”. The “working money” project showed that Owen did not understand the essence of the category of value as an expression of 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 goods to each other. Owen tried to implement the “working money” project by organizing a “Fair Exchange Bazaar”, which quickly became overstocked with slow-moving goods, and receipts were taken for those goods that could therefore be sold profitably at the market. The “Fair Exchange Bazaar” quickly collapsed, unable to withstand the onslaught of the capitalist elements.

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

2. Yadgarov Y.S. History of Economic Thought. Textbook for universities. 2nd edition - M.: Infra-M, 1997

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

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

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