POL 315 MODULE 3
program. Utopians attempted to apply the precepts of Christianity to the
solution of society problems.
The Catholic Church calls on the teaching of the bible as duties of the
rich to poor. Early Christians called for cooperation rather than
competition. They attacked doctrines of scientific socialism of Marx
which is materialistic and anti-Christian. They criticised legal freedom
of workers which is not accompanied by economic freedom as having
no meaning. They called for state intervention in redistribution of wealth
and that this could be achieved without class violence as predicted by
Marx. Lassale was a brilliant spokesman for German labor. He believed
that workers should control the state and governmental interventions
rather than private initiative should direct economic life. He saw the
state as an instrument for mankind to realise its destiny and attain high
degree of culture. The state must act for the welfare of the community.
Through his activities as an agitator and propagandist the first worker’s
association in Germany was formed in 1863.
In contrast to Marx he fought for changes through democratic channels.
His chief political demand was universal suffrage. He believes there is a
greater chance of lasting sources in a steady advance toward social
reform rather than in the possibilities offered in revolutionary violence.
With this view in mind he led the social movement to toward immediate
and obtainable goals. He secured political rights of workers to unionise,
and encouraged the promotion of safety standards leading to reduced
occupational hazards.
Another influential utopian socialist was Charles Fourier (1772-1837).
Not only was he a critic of capitalist economics, but he also became a
vocal opponent of traditional institutions such as religion, marriage, and
the family. Perhaps his most important criticism centered on the
structure of society under capitalism. Objecting to the nation-state,
Fourier envisioned a society broken up into thousands of small,
politically independent, self-sustaining communal entities. These
communities could associate with one another in a type of confederacy
in which the fundamental independence of each unit remains unchanged.
The government of the communes was to be democratic, the labor and
its products being shared equally by all the members. In such a simple
setting, Fourier believed, life would be pleasant and work would become
an enjoyable activity in which all would take part willingly. Fourier's
influence was significant and several communes based on his model
were started, but each failed and was abandoned.
An equally enigmatic figure of utopian socialism was Robert Owen
(1771-1858). A self-made industrialist, Owen was basically a
conservative man who ardently supported Britain's social, political, and
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