Henri de Saint-Simon

Biography

Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon,

often referred to as Henri de Saint-Simon (17 Oct
ober 1760 19 May 1825), was a French political
and economic theorist and businessperson whos
e thought played a substantial role in influencing
politics, economics, sociology, and the philosophy
of science.
Saint-Simon and his secretary Auguste Comte dev
eloped what Comte would complete as sociology.

Contribution

He created a political and economic ideology kn

own as industrialism that claimed that the need
s of an industrial class, which he also referred t
o as the working class, needed to be recognized
and fulfilled to have an effective society and an
efficient economy. Unlike later conceptions by o
thers of a working class being manual labourers
alone, Saint-Simon's conception of this class incl
uded all people engaged in productive work tha
t contributed to society, that included businessp
eople, managers, scientists, bankers, along with
manual labourers amongst others.

He said the primary threat to the needs of the indus

trial class was another class he referred to as the idli
ng class that included able people who preferred to
be parasitic and benefit from the work of others whil
e seeking to avoid doing work. Saint-Simon stressed
the need for recognition of the merit of the individu
al and the need for hierarchy of merit in society and
in the economy, such as society having hierarchical
merit-based organizations of managers and scientist
s to be the decision-makers in government. He stron
gly criticized any expansion of government intervent
ion into the economy beyond ensuring no hindrance
s to productive work and reducing idleness in societ
y, regarding intervention beyond these as too intrusi
ve.

This ideology soon inspired and influenced utopian socialism, l

iberal political theorist John Stuart Mill, anarchism through its f
ounder Pierre-Joseph Proudhon who was inspired by Saint-Sim
on's thought6 and Marxism with Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel
s identifying Saint-Simon as an inspiration to their ideas and id
entifying him among the utopian socialists. However historian
Alan Ryan regards certain followers of Saint-Simon, rather than
Saint-Simon himself, as being responsible for the rise of utopia
n socialism that based itself upon Saint-Simon's ideas. He also
regards strong differences as existing between Saint-Simon's c
onceptions and Marxism's as Saint-Simon did not promote clas
s conflict as a solution to societal problems nor did he adhere t
o the narrower definition of the working class as manual labor
ers as defined by Marxists. Saint-Simon unlike Marx did not re
gard the prevalent form of ownership as being paramount issu
e in the economy but rather the form of management.

Furthermore, Saint-Simon held no opposition to

capitalists as a whole unlike Marx and he regard
ed them as an important component of the ind
ustrial class. Later Saint-Simon's views influence
d sociologist and economist Thorstein Veblen; i
ncluding Veblen's creation of institutional econo
mics that has included prominent economists a
s adherents. Historian Alan Ryan states that by t
he 1950s it was clear that Saint-Simon had inve
nted the modern understanding of industrial so
ciety and its organization.

Important details

Industrialism
In 1817 Saint-Simon published a manifesto called the "Declara
tion of Principles" in his work titled L'Industrie ("The Industr
y"). The Declaration was about the principles of an ideology ca
lled industrialism that called for the creation of an industrial s
ociety led by people within what he defined as the industrial cl
ass. The industrial class, also referred to as the working class,
was defined as including all people engaged in productive wor
k that contributed to society, including businesspeople, manag
ers, scientists, bankers, manual workers, and others. He said t
he primary threat to the needs of the industrial class was anot
her class he referred to as the idling class that included able p
eople who preferred to be parasitic and benefit from the work
of others while seeking to avoid doing work. He regarded the
origins of this parasitic activity by idlers as being associated wi
th what he regarded as the natural laziness of humanity.

He regarded the principal economic roles of governm

ent as insuring that productive activity in the econom
y is unhindered and reducing idleness in society. In t
he Declaration he strongly criticized any expansion of
government intervention into the economy beyond t
hese two principal economic roles, saying that when
the government goes beyond these roles, it becomes
a "tyrannical enemy of industry" and that the industri
al economy will decline as a consequence of such exc
essive government intervention.8 Saint-Simon stress
ed the need for recognition of the merit of the individ
ual and the need for hierarchy of merit in society and
in the economy, such as society having hierarchical
merit-based organizations of managers and scientists
to be the decision-makers in government.

This ideology soon inspired and influenced utop

ian socialism, liberal political theorist John Stuar
t Mill, anarchism through its founder Pierre-Jose
ph Proudhon who was inspired by Saint-Simon's
thought and Marxism with Karl Marx and Friedri
ch Engels identifying Saint-Simon as an inspirati
on to their ideas and identifying him among the
utopian socialists. However historian Alan Ryan
regards certain followers of Saint-Simon, rather
than Saint-Simon himself, as being responsible f
or the rise of utopian socialism that based itself
upon Saint-Simon's ideas.

He also regards strong differences as existing between Saint-Simon's c

onceptions and Marxism's as Saint-Simon did not promote class confli
ct as a solution to societal problems nor did he adhere to the narrowe
r definition of the working class as manual laborers as defined by Mar
xists. Saint-Simon unlike Marx did not regard the prevalent form of ow
nership as being paramount issue in the economy but rather the form
of management. Furthermore, Saint-Simon held no opposition to capit
alists as a whole unlike Marx and he regarded them as an important c
omponent of the industrial class. Later Saint-Simon's views influenced
sociologist and economist Thorstein Veblen; including Veblen's creatio
n of institutional economics that has included prominent economists a
s adherents. Historian Alan Ryan states that by the 1950s it was clear t
hat Saint-Simon had invented the modern understanding of industrial
society and its organization.
Saint-Simon and his secretary Auguste Comte developed what Comte
would complete as sociology.
Associate of Comte (in Auguste Comte: Life) (in positivism) (in Western
philosophy: Positivism and social theory in Comte, Mill, and Marx)