The Utopian Vision of Charles Fourier: Selected Texts on Work, Love, and Passionate Attraction

by Charles Fourier

English, French (translation)

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Politics, History, Theory, Utopia

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

François Marie Charles Fourier was a French philosopher. An influential thinker, some of Fourier's social and moral views, held to be radical in his lifetime, have become main currents in modern society. Fourier is, for instance, credited with having originated the word feminism in 1837.

Reviews

[Vynateya Purimetla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fourier describes his theory as the “most brilliant movement that can ever happen in the universe"– his writing is similarly not lofty or grandiose at all...

Fourier divides the universe into four movements – social, animal, organic, and material– and characterizes evolution as the transition from social chaos to universal harmony via these movements. He refers to this process by many terms but most commonly as the Series. He recognizes that the Series can not produce a great change in passions. However, it will organize and direct society in a way that will lead to massive growth, productivity, and success. Towards the beginning of this text, he has a funny metaphor on how parents dislike their children when they are in chaos and causing mayhem but love them when they are being productive. There were a lot of zany interludes including but not limited to: planets and stars corresponding to social characteristics, the divisions and subdivisions of society into stages of infancy, growth, and decrepitude, and the invention of new terms like 'luxism', 'groupism', and 'seriism.'

I found the Table of the Progress of Social Movement to be a perfect summary of my reading of Fourier– cluttered, almost indecipherable, but fascinating. His depiction of history as a series of ascending vibrations, descending chaoses, harmony, and subversion approaching a goal is reminiscent of Saint-Simon.

[Lulu]

I. FIRST PROCLAMATIONS
"Universal Harmony" 1803. Pub. 1851
"Letter to the High Judge" 1803 Pub. 1874
"Indices and Methods Which Led to the Discovery" 1808 Pub same year part of Theory of the Four Movements



II. COMMERCE, INDUSTRY, AND WORK IN CIVILIZATION

1 Critique of Commerce
Fourier and Commerce
The Rise of Commerce and the Birth of Political Economy
Critique of Economic Liberalism
The Vices of Commerce
A Sentimental Bankruptcy

2 Work and Industry in Civilization
"Industrial Anarchy"
Civilized Work Is Unproductive
"Unproductive Classes in Civilization"
The Bucolic Myth
The Right to Work Denied

3 Work, Anxiety, and Freedom
True Freedom and Work
Work and Compulsion
The Worker's Misfortunes
Misfortunes of the Working People
Loathsome Work: God's Curse



III. PHILOSOPHY, MORALITY, AND SEX IN CIVILIZATION

1 Civilized Philosophy
"Accusation of the Uncertain Sciences"
Critique of the Revolutionary Ideals
Politics and Poverty
Morality as Preached; Counter-Morality as Practiced
The Varieties of Civilized Education

2 Marriage and the Family System
"Amorous Anarchy"
The Degradation of Women in Civilization
The Perils of Married Life
Adultery Dissected: the Hierarchy of Cuckoldom 🛑

3 Civilization in Historical Perspective
The First Age of Humanity
The Phases of Civilization
Sexual Relations and Social Change
"Sixteen Recent Degenerations"
The Imminent Social Metamorphosis



IV. THE THEORY OF PASSIONATE ATTRACTION

1 Metaphysics and Theodicy
God and His Properties
The Divine Social Code
The Law of Attraction

2 The Anatomy of the Passions
Passion and Duty
Passionate Attraction
The Three Distributive Passions
The Classification of Personality Types

3 Group Psychology
The Study of Groups
The Passionate Series



V. THE IDEAL COMMUNITY

1 New Material Conditions
The Establishment of a Trial Phalanx
The Phalanstery
An Architectural Innovation: The Street-gallery

2 The Organization of Communal Life
The Phalanx at Dawn
Administrative Institutions and Practices
The Exchange
The Phalanx on Parade: Its 16 Tribes

3 Education and Cultural Life in Harmony
Education, Refinement, and Social Harmony
Education by Peer Group
The Encouragement of the Arts and the Sciences

4 Advanced Gastronomy
The Two Conditions: Good Food and Good Company
A Problem in Bi-compound Gastronomy: The Triumph of Tough Old Hens



VI. ATTRACTIVE WORK

1 General Conditions and Descriptions
The Seven Conditions and the Social Minimum
Work and the Distributive Passions

2 Harmony's Enterprises
Selecting the Series
The Subordination of Manufacturing
Agricultural Methods: Work and Conviviality
Work and Aesthetic Pleasure: The Role of Elegance

3 Work as Social and Personal Therapeutic
Rich and Poor in Harmony: The End of Class Antagonism
Work and the Destructive Passions: The Case of Nero
Vocational Training: The Little Peas

4 Work Problems in Harmony
Degrading Work: the Servant Problem Solved
Drudgery: Work Devoid of Attraction
The Little Hordes and Disgusting Work
Work, Love, and the Industrial Armies




VII. THE NEW AMOROUS WORLD

1 The Nature and Uses of Love in Harmony
Love: The Divine Passion
Polygamous Penchants Are Universal
The Sexual Minimum
The Decline of Egoism and Jealousy
The Rehabilitation of Sentimental Love

2 Studies in Psychopathology
The Analysis of Manias
The Repression of Manias: The Case of Madame Strogonoff
Manias and Character Formation

3 New Amorous Institutions
Education and Sexuality: The Chaste Vestals
Education and Sexuality: The Faithful Damsels
The Code of Amorous Nobility 367
The Triumph of Sentiment: Harmony's Angelic Couple
Confessors in Harmony: The Art of Matching Personalities

4 Scenes and Episodes From the New Amorous World
The Arrival of a Band of Knights Errant at Cnidos
A Session of the Court of Love

5 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

VIII. THE MATHEMATICAL POEM
The Harmony of the Four Movements
The Earth's Creations
"Epilogue on the Theory of Analogy"




OC , 1 : Théorie des quatre mouvements et des destinées géné rales . 3rd ed . Paris , 1846 .
1st ed 1808

OC , 11 - v : Théorie de l'unité universelle . 4 vols . 2nd ed . Paris 1841-1843 . ( This work was originally published under the title Traité de l'association domestique - agricole . )
1st ed 1822

OC , VI : Le Nouveau monde industriel et sociétaire . 3rd ed . Paris , 1848 .
1st ed 1829

OC , VII : Le Nouveau monde amoureux , Written 1816–18, not published widely until 1967. ( This volume , edited and with an introduction by Simone Debout Oleskiewicz , consists almost entirely of previously unpublished manuscripts. )

OC , VI - IX : La Fausse industrie morcelée , répugnante , menson gère ... 2 vols . Paris , 1835-1836 .

OC , x : Publication des manuscrits de Charles Fourier . Année 1851. Année 1852. 2 vols . Paris , 1851-1852 . ( This volume of the Anthropos edition has two paginations , which are r ferred to as PM , 1 and PM , 11. )

OC , X1 : Publication des manuscrits de Charles Fourier . Années 1853-1856 . Années 1857-1858 . 2 vols . Paris , 1853-1858 . ( This volume of the Anthropos edition also has two pagi nations . They are referred to as PM , III and PM , IV . )

OC , XI : This volume includes a number of manuscript writings by Fourier which his disciples originally published in their journal La Phalange between 1845 and 1849 .

[Cschiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beecher is the go-to source for all that is Fourieriste! Some of the finest visionary speculation in this or any other universe.

[xDEAD ENDx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Passionately creative. Regardless of feasibility, Fourier opens the mind to new possibilities of relating to self, others, and the world. Indulge in the ideas.

[Julia Shin · Rating 2 out of 5]

why.

[Jaycob Izso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourier offers some unique ideas to the early socialist canon. This book provides a very interesting glimpse into Fourier's ideas of sexuality, natural and civil relationships, and the curious role Christianity plays in his overall thought. This is excellent reading for those interested in comparable characters like More, Marx, and maybe Eduard Bernstein. If nothing else it is an important historical work in the early development of socialist political theory.

[Emilee Booth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bizarre, but fascinating vision of human nature and the society we need to maximize our potential. This guy's writing basically bleeds bipolar, but it's a pretty interesting read.