Utopian Socialism: Origins and Influential Figures

Socialist Traditions: Utopian Socialism

Defining Utopian Socialism

Utopian socialism is a label used to define the first current of modern socialist thought, with the term originating around 1843. It was invented to convey a negative attitude towards its proponents, suggesting a failure to root their ideas in rigorous social, economic, and political analysis.

Their most important contribution was the delineation of projects for a new, ideal society.

Key Utopian Socialist Thinkers

The most influential authors of that time were:

• Étienne Cabet: His most relevant contribution was the utopian novel Voyage to Icaria, where he described a society founded on the basis of perfect equality in all aspects of life.
• Henri Saint-Simon: He wanted to develop a society based on objective principles. His critique of society focused on the continuing semi-feudal power in French society. His belief in classes as the primary categories of analysis and his emphasis on providing a scientific understanding of historical development had clear relevance for Marxist theory.
• Charles Fourier: He believed he had discovered laws that needed to be implemented to create a new society. The utopia he envisioned focused on feelings, passions, and sexuality. He believed that most problems arose from the mismatch between people’s passions and the way society worked. To resolve this conflict, he wanted to create communes. He thought the problem was the oppressive impact of society, which caused human misery. He condemned the oppression of women, which he argued led to the malfunctioning of the social system.
• Robert Owen: He believed that society was responsible for human misery and that people could and should change. His belief was in a form of environmental determinism, which meant that people were not responsible for their own characters because they were molded by their circumstances. He thought that the dominant influences were religion and the economy. His innovations included the upbringing of children, the approach to crime, the design and location of buildings, and the way work was organized.

Saint-Simon, Owen, and Fourier each presented only a partial critique of existing society. However, taken together, they provided important elements in later socialist analyses.