Religion and the Liberation of the Poorest Classes

Abstract

‘Our lives should not be dominated by war and tough and brutal conditions, but should be all love, gentleness and peace.’¹ Such sentiments probably echoed the dreams of most people who endured the repeated upheavals of the early nineteenth century. Educated observers were concerned that society was being torn apart by the social conflicts exacerbated by economic change. Liberals argued that, as capitalism matured, problems would resolve themselves. The Saint-Simonians were interventionist and optimistic. From late 1829 they moved on from these theoretical and instrumental solutions to practical social reform based on moral and spiritual principles. Rodrigues explained: ‘The sacred flame of enthusiasm cannot be ignited by the puny nourishment of philanthropy.’² Society was fractured because natural love was suppressed; once the emotions had been liberated, everyone — particularly women and the poorest classes, the target of their reform — would be free and equal. Their ideas on the importance of love for social harmony were similar to those of Fourier,³ but Fourier did not envisage a religious component in his new world. Why did religion become part of Saint-Simonism? This chapter will consider the Saint-Simonians’ ideas on religion, their programme of practical reform and their associated attempt to transform themselves from an elitist school into a mass movement.