Who were Henri de Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, and Robert Owen?

Henri de Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, and Robert Owen were influential early 19th-century social theorists and reformers often categorized as utopian socialists. While they were dedicated to improving the conditions of the working class, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels later labeled them "utopian" to contrast their experimental, model-based approaches with the "scientific" socialism of Marxism, which focused on class struggle.1

• Henri de Saint-Simon (1760–1825) was a French social theorist who advocated for an industrialized society directed by scientists, engineers, and industrialists. He believed that society should be organized to prioritize productive labor and improve the conditions of the poorest class, viewing science and technology as the keys to solving human problems.2
• Charles Fourier (1772–1837) was a French theorist who proposed organizing society into self-sufficient, cooperative communities called phalanges. He believed that by allowing individuals to rotate through various tasks based on their interests, labor could become voluntary and harmonious, thereby overcoming the selfishness bred by competitive capitalism.34
• Robert Owen (1771–1858) was a Welsh industrialist and reformer who implemented humane working conditions at his textile mills in New Lanark, Scotland. He believed that human nature is shaped by social conditions and sought to create cooperative, self-sufficient communities, such as New Harmony in the United States, to foster social harmony.53