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Saint-Simonianism

political philosophy

Quick Summary

Saint-Simonianism was a political and social philosophy founded by Henri de Saint-Simon in the early 19th century. It advocated for a society organized around industrial production, led by scientists and businessmen, with the goal of improving the lives of the poorest class. Saint-Simon believed that science and technology could solve societal problems, proposing that scientists and industrialists should replace priests and the aristocracy in leadership roles.1

The movement gained followers, known as Saint-Simonians, who further developed these ideas. They called for common ownership of goods, the abolition of inheritance rights, and the enfranchisement of women. While the organized movement eventually fragmented, its ideas influenced later socialist and reformist movements.1

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