Claude-Henry Comte De Saint-Simon Count, sociologist, French thinker, utopian socialist Date of Birth: 17.10.1760 Country: France

Biography of Claude-Henri de Saint-Simon

Claude-Henri de Saint-Simon was a French count, sociologist, and utopian socialist. He believed that history was characterized by progress, which he defined as the happiness of a greater number of people, the realization of the abilities of gifted individuals, population growth, and the development of science and civilization. Saint-Simon saw the driving force of progress in the development of reason and the evolution of scientific, philosophical, and moral-religious ideas that led to the change of outdated social orders.

Born into an aristocratic family descended from Charlemagne's son, Charles the Hammer, Saint-Simon received a home education. Among his teachers was the famous encyclopedist Jean le Rond d'Alembert. Even in his youth, he displayed exceptional willpower and ambition.

In 1777, he began his military service in an infantry regiment. In 1783, he participated in the American War of Independence, where he distinguished himself and was awarded the rank of colonel upon his return. However, military career did not attract him, and he retired. He welcomed the French Revolution with enthusiasm and even renounced his noble title. He engaged in real estate trading and financial speculation, amassing a large fortune. He was imprisoned but was freed during the Thermidorian Reaction.

The hardships of the era and the collapse of revolutionary ideals led Saint-Simon to develop a new science that would guide humanity towards a perfect social order. Feeling a lack of knowledge, he began actively educating himself in 1799, attending lectures at the Polytechnic School in Paris and befriending scientists such as Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Gaspard Monge, Claude Louis Berthollet, and François Gail.

Saint-Simon struggled with poverty and worked as a copyist at a pawnshop while developing his ideas. His former servant took on the responsibility of supporting him and funding the publication of his works. In 1803, his first work, "Letters from a Genevan Inhabitant to His Contemporaries," was published. He went on to publish several other works, including "Introduction to the Scientific Works of the 19th Century" (1808), "Note on Universal Attraction" (1813), "Note on the Science of Man" (1813), and "On the Reorganization of European Society" (1814). He also published several issues of the journals "Industry" (1814-1816) and "The Organizer" (1819-1820).

Despite his efforts to promote his ideas, Saint-Simon did not receive the expected support and recognition. Some considered him insane. After the death of his benefactor, he lived off occasional earnings and irregular assistance from philanthropists and supporters. Over time, a small circle of disciples and like-minded individuals formed around him. Among his secretaries were future historian Augustin Thierry and the founder of positivism, Auguste Comte, both of whom were strongly influenced by him.

In 1822, when his financial situation worsened, Saint-Simon attempted suicide, resulting in the loss of one of his eyes. His last works included "The Catechism of Industrialists" (1824), "Literary, Philosophical, and Industrial Discussions" (1825), and "The New Christianity" (1825).

After Saint-Simon's death, his disciples, including Barthélemy Prosper Enfantin, Michel Chevalier, and Olinde Rodrigues, attempted to systematize his numerous and diverse ideas. His views were strongly influenced by the natural sciences of the time, particularly Isaac Newton's mechanics and René Descartes' philosophy, as well as French materialism and the Enlightenment. He revered science and scientists, considering Newton as a prophet, but criticized them for the dominance of empiricism, fragmented knowledge, and specialization. He advocated for a synthetic method that would unify the natural sciences with the social sciences and create a unified science based on physics.

According to Saint-Simon, the world is composed of matter, whether solid or liquid, and all natural phenomena, including the human body, are the result of their interactions. He believed that humanity was going through a crisis and called for greater attention to the "science of man," moral and political sciences that he recommended restructuring based on the natural sciences, making them "positive" by relying on physiology.

Saint-Simon identified the main contradiction in contemporary society as the opposition between the "theological and feudal system" and the "scientific and industrial system," and the class struggle between the nobility, the "industrials" (entrepreneurs, workers, craftsmen, peasants, etc.), and the intermediate "bourgeoisie" (lawyers, minor military officers, minor landowners, etc.). He believed that until 1789, the nobility and clergy held power, during the revolution and Napoleon's rule, the bourgeoisie was in charge, and after 1815, they ruled jointly.

Saint-Simon's critical focus was on the nobility and clergy, whom he saw as parasites and idlers hindering progress. The "industrials," in alliance with the "scientists" and "artists," who constituted 24/25 of the nation, were the creators of all wealth in society, possessing all talents and abilities, but power remained in the hands of the old and new elites.

According to Saint-Simon, in the "industrial" society, there should be mandatory universal labor, a socially planned organization of production, positions and responsibilities assigned according to abilities, and the elimination of inheritance. Private property and profits of entrepreneurs, who would transform into a kind of public officials, would be preserved, as well as the monarchy, which he saw as an ally in the fight against parasitic classes. The goal of these transformations was the welfare of the most numerous class - the proletariat, for whom maximum, although not absolute, equality should be established.

Saint-Simon believed that France, as the vanguard of humanity, should pave the way to the future for Europe and the world. The renewed Christianity, which would spread across the globe and overcome the limitations and shortcomings of Catholicism and Protestantism, should adopt the slogan "all men are brothers" as its fundamental principle.

Saint-Simon's teachings had a significant influence on the development of socialist and communist theories.