CHARLES

FOURIER 1
FRENCH
PHILOSOPHER

Rakan Ghandour
 Early Life
■ His full name was Francois Marie – Charles Fourier
■ He was born on April 7 1772 in Besancon , France
■ He was the only son of a small businessman
■ He was educated in the local college of Besancon
■ His father died when Fourier was only nine
■ He wanted to become an engineer but was not allowed to as only children of nobleman
were accepted.
■ When he was 18 his mother enrolled him as a business apprentice
■ He never suceeded in this field. When he inherited a considerable amount of money
after his mother past away, he retired to the countryside where he wrote his first book
 Beliefs

■ He rejected industralism wholesale and Capitalism

■ He hated lassiez- faire liberalism and the factory system and believed that the industrial
society was simply a passing phase
■ He believed that industralization created massive wealth but only profited certain people
and was not fair to the whole society
■ He was a visionary man who wanted to change the political and social structure of the
world. He used reason and scientific observation to chart the future course of society.
Works
■ His works are related to his socialist ideas that a society should be based on small
communties co- operating towards a common goal and not competing against each other
■ His first major work was “ Theorie des Quatre et Destinees General “ or theory of four
movements in 1808
■ He argued if these societies cooperated life would improve for the whole society
■ Today these communities are referred to as ‘co operatives ‘ back then Fourier referred to
them as ’Phalanxes’
■ His ideas spread around the world and enorsged people to create their own communities For
exapmle in Ohio, US the community of Utopia was established in 1844 by the followers of
Fourier. They named it ‘Utopia’ as they had hopes of creating a perfect community
■ He was known for creating ‘ Utopian ‘
■ His system of belief came to be known as ‘ Fouriesm’
■ All his ideas worked on social and economic reform
 ’Phalansteres’ or Grand hotels
Fourier saw this type of communituy cooperation being established in a
community of ‘Phalanxes’ and around a structure called ‘Phalansteres’
or organized hotels. He wanted to create a building where there would
be four levels.The wealthiest would live on the top floor and the poorest
at the ground level. Wealth would be determined by a person’s job. Jobs
would only be assigned to people who shared an interest in the job as he
believed this would enable the people to get bettter job satisfaction and
in return they would work harder. He wanted to create a harmony and a
theory of ‘attractive labor’
Co- operatives built from Fourier’s ideas

■ Undeniably Fourier’s impact was significant all over the world.

■ He lead to several cooperatives based communities

Phalanx in North America

built in 1841 by Charles
Sears. The Fourier society
community was built based
on ideas of Charles Fourier.
Advoacate to womens rights

■ He was a supporter of womens rights and believed all jobs should be open to women
■ He inspired the feminist movement

The french Socialist feminist and

‘Fouriest’ Jean Dorian held aloft by
women of different classes with a chalice
that reads “Suffrage Universal des
Femmes ( “Universal Women’s suffrage
“)
Final Thoughts

■ He died October 10th 1837 in Paris, France

■ He was a visionary man that helped Europe transform society during the industrial
Revolution.
■ He was Known for creating ‘ Utopian’ societies and the word ‘feminism’
■ He inspired many countries to create their own communities based on his ideas
■ He believed in work harmony
Citations
■ https://the-public-domain-review.imgix.net/essays/get-thee-to-a-phalanstery-or-how-f
ourier-can-still-teach-us-to-make-lemonade//47660598112_8029c6640d_b.jpg?fit=ma
x&w=1200&h=850
■ https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Phalanxary_colt_nj.jpg/
200px-Phalanxary_colt_nj.jpg
■ https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Phalanxary_colt_nj.jpg/
200px-Phalanxary_colt_nj.jpg
■ https://allauthor.com/images/quotes/img/charles-fourier-quote-the-extension-of-wome
ns-rights-is.jpg
■ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Fourier
■ https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/social-sciences-and-law/political-science-biogr
aphies/charles-fourier
■ https://the-public-domain-review.imgix.net/essays/get-thee-to-a-phalanstery-or-how-f
ourier-can-still-teach-us-to-make-lemonade//47660598112_8029c6640d_b.jpg?fit=ma
x&w=1200&h=850
■ http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture21a.html