Utopian Socialism

As Britain rapidly industrialized in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, reformers
came to envision alternative societies. Rather than civilization defined by harsh
industrial labor practices driven by greed and the profit motive, utopian socialists
argued society could be both industrial and humane.

A significant part of this was the utopian socialists' creation of planned

communities, where individual competition would be replaced with a communal
society where no one was wanting. Though their critics dubbed these projects
'utopian' (hence the name utopian socialists), many communal societies were
attempted in both Britain and the United States. Some, of course, were more
successful than others.

Utopian socialism and these exemplary planned communities were also infused
with millennialist thought. Millennialism was the belief that Christ's Second
Coming was near, and humanity needed to prepare. One way to prepare society for
the millennium, utopian socialists argued, was to create these small, perfect
communities. As one American utopian said in 1844, 'Our ulterior aim is nothing
less than Heaven on Earth.'

Robert Owen's Utopian Socialism

Englishman Robert Owen (1771-1858) made a fortune in the textile business of

Manchester. He could have taken his riches and enjoyed the luxurious life, but
instead he promoted an alternative socialist vision to the current competitive,
industrial society. Owen said that the profit motive should not be the primary
shaper of society; rather, he said he could create a community in which workers
were paid what they were worth and shared, rather than competed, in all areas of
life.

In 1800, Owen decided to create such a utopian community in New Lanark,

Scotland. Owen reformed the textile mill industry at New Lanark and provided
workers with good living conditions, a 10-hour day, free school for their kids, and
other incentives designed to encourage good work. Eventually, Owen reduced
work to an 8-hour day and proclaimed laborers should have the right to 8 hours of
work, 8 hours of recreation, and 8 hours of sleep. The factory and Owen both made
a profit, and New Lanark became known far and wide across Europe as a model of
industrial efficiency. In many ways, however, this would be the positive limits of
Owen's vision.
Buoyed by this success, in 1816, Owen expanded his utopian aims beyond the
factory. He proposed a model community of around 2,500 residents, where
property and life, in general, was communal. He hoped this would create a new
type of human society, one not marred by competition for profit and individual
advantage. Owen also infused this idea with millennialism, quoting scripture and
warning the end of the existing industrial world was nigh.