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Biography of Saint-Simon, Comte deName: Saint-Simon, Comte deBirth Date: October 17, 1760 Death Date: May 19, 1825 Place of Birth: Paris, France Nationality: French Gender: Male Occupations: philosopher, reformer Saint-Simon, Comte de The French social philosopher and reformer Claude Henri de Rouvroy, Comte de Saint-Simon (1760-1825), was one of the founders of modern industrial socialism and evolutionary sociology.The Comte de Saint-Simon was born in Paris to the poorer side of a prominent noble family. From childhood on he was filled with great ambitions that took him on many different paths. First commissioned into the army at 17, he served 4 years, during which he fought with some distinction in the American Revolution.On his return to Europe, Saint-Simon tried a series of bold commercial ventures but had limited success before the French Revolution. During the Terror of 1793-1794 he was imprisoned for a year and barely escaped execution. This experience left him deeply opposed to revolutionary violence. After his release, for a short time he obtained a sizable fortune by speculating in confiscated properties, which he spent on a lavish Paris salon that attracted many …showed first 150 words…
…showed last 150 words…to a planned welfare state run by scientific managers in the public interest.Saint-Simon's final work, Le Nouveau Christianisme (1825), inspired a Christian socialist movement called the Saint-Simonians, who were devoted to a secular gospel of economic progress and human brotherhood. After his death, his ideas were reworked by followers into the famous Doctrine de Saint-Simon (1829). This was the first systematic exposition of industrial socialism, and it had great influence on the Social Democratic movement, Catholic reforms, and Marxism. Further Reading F. M. H. Markham edited and translated Selected Writings of Saint-Simon (1952). The best account of Saint-Simon's life and work is Frank E. Manuel, The New World of Henri Saint-Simon (1956). Other accounts include Mathurin M. Dondo, The French Faust: Henri de Saint-Simon (1955), and the section on Saint-Simon in Manuel's The Prophets of Paris (1962). For his place in socialist thought see volume 1 of G. D. H. Cole, A History of Socialist Thought (1953). |