Charles Fourier, a philosopher and social theorist…

Charles Fourier, a philosopher and social theorist born in Besançon, France on April 7, 1772, as the son of a small businessman, had been more interested in architecture than he was in his father's trade.

He had wanted to become an engineer, but the local Military Engineering School only accepted sons of noblemen.

Fourier will later say he was grateful that he did not pursue engineering, because it would have consumed too much of his time and taken away from his true desire to help humanity.

When his father died in 1781, Fourier had received two-fifths of his father's estate, valued at more than two hundred thousand francs, enabling Fourier to travel throughout Europe at his leisure.

He had moved in 1791 from Besançon to Lyon, where he was employed by the merchant M. Bousquet.

Fourier's travels had also brought him to Paris, where he had worked as the head of the Office of Statistics for a few months.

From 1791 to 1816 Fourier will be employed in Paris, Rouen, Lyon, Marseille, and Bordeaux.

As a traveling salesman and correspondence clerk, his research and thought is time-limited: he complains of "serving the knavery of merchants" and the stupefaction of "deceitful and degrading duties".

He takes up writing, and his first book is published as Théorie des quatre mouvements et des destinées générales (Theory of the four movements and the general destinies), appearing anonymously in Lyon in 1808.

Declaring that concern and cooperation are the secrets of social success, Fourier believes that a society that cooperates will see an immense improvement in its productivity levels when workers are recompensed for their labors according to their contribution.

He envisions such cooperation occurring in communities he calls "phalanxes", based around structures called Phalanstères or "grand hotels": four level apartment complexes where the richest have the uppermost apartments and the poorest enjoy a ground floor residence.

Wealth is determined by one's job; jobs are assigned based on the interests and desires of the individual.

There are incentives: jobs people might not enjoy doing would receive higher pay.

Fourier considers trade, which he associates with Jews, to be the "source of all evil" and advocates that Jews be forced to perform farm work in the phalansteries (Roberts, Richard H. 1995. Religion and the Transformations of Capitalism: Comparative Approaches. Routledge. pp 90)

Fourier characterizes poverty (not inequality) as the principal cause of disorder in society, and he proposes to eradicate it by sufficiently high wages and by a "decent minimum" for those who are not able to work.

He believes that there are twelve common passions, grouped around three branches of a "passional tree": "luxurious passions" of the senses; "affective passions" of love, friendship, and parenthood; and the oft-ignored "distributive passions" such as the need for political intrigue, the need for variety, and the pure enthusiasm of spiritual pursuits.

The sum of all these passions Fourier calls "unityism," characterized as a universal feeling of benevolence and fraternity.

Although fettered and mutated by Civilization, the free development of these passions will be allowed in the bright future world, Fourier believes.

The passion result in eight hundred and ten types of character, so the ideal phalanx will have exactly sixteen hundred and twenty people.

One day, there will be six million of these, loosely ruled by a world "omniarch", or (later) a World Congress of Phalanxes.

He exhibits a touching concern for the sexually rejected; jilted suitors will be led away by a corps of fairies who will soon cure them of their lovesickness, and visitors will consult the card-index of personality types for suitable partners for casual sex.

He also defends homosexuality as a personal preference for some people.

Fourier is also a supporter of women's rights in a time when such influences as Jean-Jacques Rousseau prevail.

Fourier believes that all important jobs should be open to women on the basis of skill and aptitude rather than closed on account of gender.

He speaks of women as individuals, not as half the human couple.

Fourier sees that "traditional" marriage can potentially hurt woman's rights as human beings and thus never marries.

His concern is to liberate every human individual, man, woman, and child, in two senses: Education and the liberation of human passion.

Deeply disturbed by the disorder of his time, and seeing his fellow human beings living in a world full of strife, chaos, and disorder, Fourier wants to stabilize the course of events that surrounds him.

Fourier will only sell few copies but, surprisingly, after six years the book will fall into the hands of Monsieur Just Muiron, who will eventually become Fourier's patron.

Fourier will produce most of his writings between 1816 and 1821.

He will try in 1822 to sell his books again but with no success.