ChatGPT said:
When Marx and Engels referred to “utopian socialism,” they were not specifically targeting the intentional communities in the United States, though those communities were part of the broader phenomenon they critiqued. Instead, they had in mind a variety of early socialist thinkers and movements, primarily European, who advocated for socialism through idealistic, often non-revolutionary means. These figures included thinkers like:
- Charles Fourier – Known for proposing self-sustaining communities called “Phalansteries,” which would operate on cooperative principles.
- Henri de Saint-Simon – Emphasized the idea of a planned society led by industrialists and scientists, with a focus on improving the welfare of all.
- Robert Owen – A British industrialist who created model communities, such as New Lanark in Scotland and later attempted similar projects in the United States, like New Harmony in Indiana.
Marx and Engels critiqued these “utopian socialists” because they believed their approach was too idealistic and failed to address the material conditions and class struggles that, according to Marx and Engels, were the true engines of historical change. They saw the utopians as attempting to create socialism through moral persuasion and small-scale experiments, rather than through a mass movement rooted in the working class and economic realities.
The intentional communities in the U.S., like those inspired by Fourier and Owen, were certainly part of the trend of utopian socialism, and Marx and Engels were aware of them. However, their primary critique was directed at the theoretical and philosophical foundations of utopian socialism, which they felt lacked a scientific understanding of historical materialism and class dynamics. They contrasted “utopian socialism” with their own “scientific socialism,” which emphasized the role of class struggle and economic forces in achieving social change.
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You said:
Didn’t the intentional communities in the US call rhemselves Owenite or Fourinite?
ChatGPT said:
Yes, many of the intentional communities in the United States did identify as Owenite or Fourierist (often called “Fourierite”). These communities were directly inspired by the ideas of Robert Owen and Charles Fourier, and they attempted to implement their visions of cooperative and egalitarian living. Here’s a bit more detail:
- Owenite Communities:
- Followers of Robert Owen, called “Owenites,” sought to create communities based on cooperative labor, communal ownership, and egalitarian principles.
- One of the most famous Owenite experiments in the U.S. was New Harmony, Indiana, which was founded by Owen himself in 1825. Although it eventually failed due to practical challenges, it was an influential early attempt at communal living.
- Owen’s followers in America established various other small communities inspired by his ideas.
- Fourierist Communities (Fourierites):
- Inspired by Charles Fourier, Fourierists in the United States sought to create self-sufficient, cooperative communities known as Phalanxes or Phalansteries, based on Fourier’s concept of harmonious living.
- In the 1840s, several Fourierist communities were established in the U.S., including Brook Farm in Massachusetts (initially a Transcendentalist community that later adopted Fourierist ideas) and the North American Phalanx in New Jersey.
- These communities sought to overcome the competitive and alienating aspects of capitalism through cooperative labor and shared resources, following Fourier’s detailed guidelines for social organization.
While these communities did not represent the entirety of utopian socialism, they were concrete manifestations of the ideals critiqued by Marx and Engels. The founders and members of these communities explicitly linked themselves to the ideas of Owen and Fourier, giving rise to the terms “Owenite” and “Fourierite.” This link illustrates why Marx and Engels associated such movements with “utopian socialism”—they were seen as idealistic experiments that did not address the underlying capitalist structure or advocate for a broader revolutionary change.
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