Robert Owen

and Socialism

Introduction

Owen Robert born in Newtown,

Montgomeryshire, on May 14, 1771 was one
of the most influential socialists of the early
19th century.

Early Life
Owen attended public schools until the age of 10, when he
became an apprentice to a clothier. Owen spent much of
his time reading and studying business. He then set up his
own business as a manufacturer of spinning mules. He did
so well in business that when he was 19, he had become a
superintendent of a large cotton mill in Manchester. There
Owen met a lot of businessmen involved in textile industry.
This included David Dale. With the support of many
businessmen, Owen purchased Dales four textile factories
in New Lanark. Under the control of Owen, the company
expanded much more rapidly. However, Robert wasnt only
interested in making money...

New Lanark
He wanted to create a Utopian society. Owen induced his business
partners to purchase the New Lanark mills in Lanarkshire. There he had
success in creating an almost perfect Utopia. In the town of New Lanark,
lived 2000 people, 500 who were poor children. The standard of living
was unbearable and Owen improved nearly everything. He improved
houses, encouraged people to have order, cleanliness, and thrift. He
nearly banned alcohol with strict supervision. He rose wages, reduced
hours of work, improved factory conditions, rebuilt homes, provided
schools for children, and reversed the standard concept of labor
relations. His greatest well known success however was in the education
of the children. He devoted special attention to these children. In 1816
he opened the first infant school in Great Britain at the New Lanark mills
and thereafter gave it his close personal supervision. He also limited the
children labor hours and extended schooling hours. Ultimately, Owen
gained productivity and efficiency due to his benevolence.

New Lanark

"WithinayearOwenhadmadeNewLanarkachangedcommunity;withinfiveyearsitwas
unrecognizable;intenyearsmoreitwasworldfamous.Itwouldhavebeen
accomplishmentenoughformostmen,forinadditiontowinningaEuropeanreputationfor
farsightednessandbenevolence,RobertOwenmadeafortuneofatleastsixtythousand
poundsforhimself....headvocatedtheformationoftheVillagesofCooperationinwhich
eighthundredtotwelvehundredsoulswouldworktogetherinfarmandfactorytoforma
selfsustainingunit.Thefamiliesweretoliveinhousesgroupedinparallelogramsthe
wordimmediatelycaughtthepubliceyewitheachfamilyinaprivateapartmentbut
sharingcommonsittingroomsandreadingroomsandkitchens.Childrenovertheageof
threeweretobeboardedseparatelysothattheycouldbeexposedtothekindofeducation
whichwouldbestmoldtheircharactersforlaterlife.Aroundtheschoolweregardenstobe
tendedbytheslightlyolderchildren,andaroundtheminturnwouldstretchoutthefields
wherecropswouldbegrownneedlesstosaywiththeaidofspadesandwithouttheuseof
plows.Inthedistance,awayfromthelivingareas,wouldbeafactoryunit;ineffectthis
wouldbeaplannedgardencity."4(Heilbroner.)

New Harmony
New Lanark ultimately did not work out as he
planned. His schemes lacked funds and support.
He sold his interest in the New Lanark Mills to
finance his second attempt on establishing a
utopia called New Harmony located in Posey
County, Indiana. However, this enterprise was a
failure worse than that of New Lanark. He chose
poor associates and it lacked sufficient practical
planning. After his failure, he returned to
England.

The Afterwards

Returning to England, Owen stuck to his

views. His philosophy made a deep impression
on workers. He launched a moral crusade for
the working class. He inspired the pioneers
and created a Grand National Moral Union in
1833 with 500,000 workers. They demanded
social change including better wages and
working conditions. This union failed as most
do because of the government.

His Philosophy
Owen was a socialist that wanted to create a perfect society. Owen believed
that humanity is no better than its environment. Owen was of the view that
the world was not inevitably good or bad. Man can always change. He
believed that man was but a creature of circumstances. In other words,
Owen believed that a change in the circumstances of man would make a
corresponding change in the man. He believed that since people are shaped
by environment, improvement of that environment can produce a paradise
on earth. Owen also believed in equality. Robert Owen strongly suggested
and took action to give everyone an equal chance to strive. He supported
this argument through the enormous amount of social help he gave to the
people. When he could have maximized profit, he instead looked toward the
people and put their lives first. Furthermore, Owen looked down on machines
and believed that it would inevitably lead to poverty and degradation for
workers. He planned communities where people worked together and live in
private homes. Unlike the socialism we know today as communism, Owen
was definitely a socialist for the right cause.

Affecting Society
Robert Owens work was so influential to society that he is known
today as the founder of socialism. Although today communism a
form of socialism is looked down upon today, the idea that Robert
Owen had was much different than any other. Robert Owen was
looking toward a Utopian society where everything was equal.
Robert Owen definitely thrived upon equality and equal chances. He
would defend till death the rights of man between different social
classes. Today, although socialism is not a commonly used ideology,
we can still remember Robert Owen for attempting to create peace
through the same ideas that we pertain to today. Although he
lacked preparation at some points, his influence was huge and even
started a grand union that most likely brought rights to many
workers in the time.
_

Interview

On the 26th April, 1816, Robert Owen appeared before Robert Peel's House of Commons Committee.
Question: At what age to take children into your mills?
Robert Owen: At ten and upwards.
Question: Why do you not employ children at an earlier age?
Robert Owen: Because I consider it to be injurious to the children, and not beneficial to the proprietors.
Question: What reasons have you to suppose it is injurious to the children to be employed at an earlier age?
Robert Owen: Seventeen years ago, a number of individuals, with myself, purchased the New Lanark establishment from Mr. Dale. I
found that there were 500 children, who had been taken from poor-houses, chiefly in Edinburgh, and those children were generally from
the age of five and six, to seven to eight. The hours at that time were thirteen. Although these children were well fed their limbs were
very generally deformed, their growth was stunted, and although one of the best schoolmasters was engaged to instruct these children
regularly every night, in general they made very slow progress, even in learning the common alphabet. I came to the conclusion that the
children were injured by being taken into the mills at this early age, and employed for so many hours; therefore, as soon as I had it in my
power, I adopted regulations to put an end to a system which appeared to me to be so injurious.
Question: Do you give instruction to any part of your population?
Robert Owen: Yes. To the children from three years old upwards, and to every other part of the population that choose to receive it.
Question: If you do not employ children under ten, what would you do with them?
Robert Owen: Instruct them, and give them exercise.
Question: Would not there be a danger of their acquiring, by that time, vicious habits, for want of regular occupation.
Robert Owen: My own experiences leads me to say, that I found quite the reverse, that their habits have been good in proportion to the
extent of their instruction.

Publications
Robert Owen published many books on his views on society such as:
Observations on the Effect of the Manufacturing System, (1815)
Evidence on New Lanark (1815)
A New View of Society (1816)
An Address to the Inhabitants of New Lanark (1816)
Two Memorials on Behalf of the Working Classes (1818)
Report to the County of Lanark, (1821)
Lectures on an Entire New State of Society (1830)

Citations
http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/owen/owenbib.htm
http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/owen/newview.txt
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/The-Worldly-Philosophers-Summaries-and-Commentaries-Chapter-5-The-Visi
ons-of-the-Utopian-Socialists.id-163,pageNum-18.html
http://www.cyberspacei.com/jesusi/inlight/philosophy/anarchism/owen.htm
http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Biographies/Reformers/Owen.htm
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/IRowen.htm
http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/owen.html
http://www.robert-owen.com/
http://midwales.com/peopleplaces/rowen/.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/IRowen.htm

The end