The Selected Works of Robert Owen Vol IV

Gregory Claeys

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781138647121
• eBook ISBN: 9781000415735
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Economic History
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Robert Owen (1771-1858) was the founder of British socialism, and one of the most influential reformers in Britain and America in the first half of the 19th century. This book contains all Owen's key writings on the ideal community, socialism, religion, and the capitalist economic system.

THE LIFE

OF

ROBERT OWEN.

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.

WITH SELECTIONS FROM HIS WRITINGS AND CORRESPONDENCE.

VOLUME I.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Dialogue between Robert Owen and one of his old friends respecting writing his life

Second Introductory Dialogue

Spiritual Communication

An Address to the World

Preface

THE LIFE OF ROBERT OWEN

INTRODUCTION

––––––

DIALOGUE BETWEEN ROBERT OWEN AND ONE OF HIS OLD FRIENDS RESPECTING WRITING HIS LIFE

Old Friend – You know that your oldest friends have been long urgent with you to write your life, knowing that were you to die, no one, from your independence of action from your childhood, could execute a task of such interest to the human race; – I say to the human race, – because your life has been during many years devoted to devise measures for the improvement and happiness of all, making no distinction of colour, country, class, or creed. Your life is now so advanced that its continuances must be uncertain, and your friends desire above all things to have a faithful history of your proceedings from your earliest years of recollection. They are now the more earnest in continuing this request to you, because they believe that a full history of your life would tend more than any other measure you could adopt to facilitate the great change in human affairs which you have so long advocated. Will you now accede to our request?

Robert Owen – I am always desirous to meet the wishes of my old friends and faithful disciples. I have so long delayed my consent to your earnest solicitations, because I have been continually actively engaged in living my life – in pursuing a mission which has been impressed on my mind from my earliest years, and which, hopeless of accomplishment as every one of my friends endeavoured to make me believe it, never ceased to inspire me with the never-wavering conviction of ultimate success. And so this conviction remains, – but always increasing as my age increases. I am now engaged in the most important part of my progress in this work, and can now scarcely withdraw my attention from the present and the future of this mission, to recur to the past which is ended, while more is required from me and can yet be accomplished by my remaining active exertions.

O. F. – But surely it is time you should cease these active exertions and now sit down quietly to recollect and write your life. What can now be so important to you, to the interest of your family, and for the benefit of society?

R. O. – If I thought it would be more for the benefit of society generally that I should write my life, than that I should progress in my mission to its final accomplishment, I would not hesitate to comply with your wishes. But my impression is otherwise, – knowing that there is much important work yet to be done before the population of the world can be prepared to change a false system of society for the true, although that false system is hourly producing incalculable misery to the millions, which the change would terminate. While therefore anything remains to be done which I can do to forward this great and good work, I am unwilling that my attention should be in any way withdrawn from it.

O. F. – But what can you now do at your age in conflict with a world taught to be prejudiced from the birth of every one, and so strongly in favour of their present false system, productive as it is of all manner of evil to the people and governments of all nations?

R. O. – I can continue to write, and to circulate among leading minds in various countries what I write explanatory of the falsehood and evil of the one system, (the present,) and of the truth and goodness of the other, (the future,) which is destined to supersede the present in the due order of the development of man and progress of terrestrial creation. With this view, also, I have called a Congress to be held in St Martin’s Hall, Long Acre, London, on the 14th of May next, of the advanced minds of the world, who take an interest and who are active in promoting the unlimited happiness of all our race.^a

O. F. – But how can you expect to make any impression upon society at this time, when all nations and all parties in all nations are at sixes and sevens and know not what to do to sustain their present local views and interests?

R. O. – It is because I know they are all as it were at sea without rudder or compass, and are driven about by every wind that blows, that I am most anxious to give to each a sound rudder and correct compass, not only to prevent their shipwreck and to calm their fears, but to enable them to steer direct into a safe harbour. It is therefore that I think the writing and publishing of my life of far less importance than now to place the whole truth respecting the system of ignorance, falsehood, and misery, and the system of wisdom, truth, and happiness, before the leading minds of the world in so clear a manner, that the difference between the two systems may be glaringly seen by them, as well as the impossibility of uniting the spirit, principle, and practice of the one, with the other. And also to enable them to perceive that the present system, as it is in nature, may now be made to become the immediate parent of the true and good system, and to foster it as parents take charge of their offspring and endeavour to leave a valuable inheritance to them.

O. F. – You will write to the leading minds of the world in vain. They are not prepared for any such sweeping change as you suppose. They have not yet commenced to think about two systems so opposed to each other, and much less that the one shall willingly introduce and sustain the other in its progress towards maturity. This very morning the Times newspaper, deeming itself the mouthpiece, not only of Europe but of the civilised world, has a leading article to dissuade its readers from ever thinking it possible that a system of equality among mankind is practicable,^a – and equality is one of the main features of your proposed new system.

R. O. – The Times knows nothing, or pretends to know nothing, of the system which I advocate. It has a bribe of more than a hundred thousand pounds a year from the public to support this wretched thing which is called a natural system of society,^b – when its foundation and entire superstructure are opposed to truth and nature. What does the Times know of the practical equality among the human race which I advocate? It is blinded by the learned ignorance of the present system, through which alone it has yet attempted to look at man and society. I have never advocated the possibility of creating a physical and mental equality among the human race, knowing well that it is from our physical and mental varieties that the very essence of knowledge, wisdom, and happiness, or rational enjoyment is to arise. The equality which belongs to the new, true, and rational system of human existence, is an equality of conditions, or of surroundings, which shall give to each, according to natural organisation, an equal superior physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, and practical treatment, training, education, position, employment according to age, and share in local and general government, when governing rationally shall be understood and applied to practice. It is doubtful whether any editors of newspapers, now the great instructors of the human race, or the professional instructors in the schools, colleges, and universities of the world, have any clear ideas or correct notions of what is or is not practicable respecting human nature, of which these so learnedly ignorant men of the present system of society appear to have but the minimum of real knowledge. Their acquaintance with human nature has been derived through successive generations solely from the undeveloped imagination and inexperience of our early ancestors, and it has required the accumulation of fact upon fact, increasing through each generation, to enable the discovery to be made at this period, that our ancestors were in error and totally ignorant of what manner of beings they were. In now looking over the earth among all peoples and nations, it is too evident that to-day this ignorance of ourselves has been wondrously preserved, and that by the mass of the human race, and with very partial, if with any, exceptions, the populations of the world are now as ignorant of themselves as were our first parents, if not more so, in consequence of the errors added to the errors of every succeeding generation on this now perceived-by-the-few-to be the most important of all knowledge.

O. F. – Why this is the strangest of all your strange teachings! You make nothing of human knowledge and the accumulated wisdom and experience of the world through all past generations!

R. O. – Yes, I do make much valuable use of the past experience of the facts of the world and of human knowledge, as far as it has progressed in discovering facts in the various sciences. It is from this knowledge that I have derived the great and all-important truth –

‘That the character, physical and mental, of all men and women, is formed – not, as hitherto imagined in opposition to all facts through all ages, BY themselves – but, by the Great Creating Power of the Universe and by Society, FOR them; and that for the character thus formed it is the essence of insanity to make the individual in any way responsible.’

From this knowledge I have also discovered the greatest of all truths for man to know –

‘That any character, from the worst to the best, may, with the certainty of a law of nature, be given by society to all of the human race, – and that through this knowledge every one may be made to become at maturity, good, wise, and happy.’

O. F. – Why, if you are correct with your conclusions it is indeed the most valuable of all human knowledge yet acquired, a knowledge far more to be desired than the discovery of the philosopher’s stone. But what are the inferences which you draw from these two facts – if facts they be, – ‘that the character of man is formed for him, and that society may now adopt practical measures to make all future generations, without any exception, good, wise, and happy?’

R. O. – Firstly. – That this is the knowledge that the most advanced minds of the world in all ages have sought for, – but until this period without success.

Secondly. – That this knowledge will confound the ignorance of those deemed the most learned in all past generations.

Thirdly. – That this knowledge will introduce the Millennium, to commence in this generation.

Fourthly. – That it will introduce the Millennium over the world, by peaceably and quietly superseding the existing ignorant, false, wicked, and insane system of society, by the wise, true, good, and rational system of society, for the government of the human race as one family.

Fifthly. – This new system of society will develope the true religion, government, laws, classification, and institutions of society for the population of the world.

Sixthly. – That it will cordially unite all of our race as brothers, – create a practical equality of position, education, and occupation, according to age and capacity, – and establish for ever true liberty, just equality, and real fraternity.

Seventhly. – That it will by uniting man to man and nation to nation establish peace for ever among the human race.

Eighthly. – That this knowledge discloses to our race the origin of evil, and that evil produced solely from man’s ignorance of himself.

Ninthly. – That by enabling man to know himself, the origin of evil to our race will be destroyed for ever.

Tenthly. – It proves the false foundation whence all human laws have proceeded – their ignorance, inutility, and constant failure, in consequence of being always opposed to the good, wise, and unchanging laws of God and Nature.

Eleventhly. – It demonstrates the cause of the past insanity of the human race, and its cure.

Twelfthly. – It will all the existing rulers of society to adopt decisive measures to commence to make the human race through futurity sane, wise, good, united, and continually to increase in knowledge, excellence, and happiness.

O. F. – If you are right in these inferences and conclusions, then indeed is the knowledge that the character of man is not formed by himself, but for him, the most important of all human knowledge, when united with the knowledge of the practical measures by which to create the new surroundings which can produce, with the certainty of a law of nature, the results which you have stated.

R. O. – Through this knowledge I know that the governments of what is called the civilised part of the world, have the most ample power and means at their disposal, by uniting cordially with the people of their respective governments, now to commence the practice of the science by which to insure the progress and happiness of the population of the world while living on the earth, and after death through a life immortal.^a

O. F. – Surely these governments, if they were convinced of the truth of what you state, would use all the influence they possess to secure the progress and happiness of the present and future population of the world, including their own offspring.

R. O. – Yes, – and by so doing to attain a higher degree of happiness for themselves, than the possession of all earthly power and wealth could give them.

O. F. – But how are they to be made conscious of possessing this unheard-of power and influence? – for without this knowledge they will continue to act as they have done and are now doing.

R. O. – I know they will, and my present writings and practical proceedings are with a view to convince them of this great fact – a truth of the highest importance to themselves and the people of the world, and yet more to our children of succeeding generations.

O. F. – How do you mean to turn the current of the public opinion of governments and peoples? – for in such a change as you propose, both must unite to effect it.

R. O. – For this purpose I have called a Congress of the advanced minds of the world, to be held in London on the 14th of May next, that I may explain these matters to them, discuss them, and have their assistance to discuss the best peaceable means to effect the change, and to give the sanction of their names to princes and people, and thus prepare them to take an active part to accomplish the permanent progressive happiness here and hereafter of the human race.

O. F. – But your friends say your life, if written and published by yourself, would attract more interest than your new, and to the world, strange system which you advocate.

R. O. – I know it, and have long known it. The population of the world have been tired out by so many false and delusive systems of reforms upon the present erroneous formation of the structure of the human mind and of society, that it now turns with disgust from them all, concluding that all attempts to improve society must prove equally fallacious, and they ask only to be amused, for which they are willing to pay a great price according to their individual means. But that which is really required is sound instruction on a true foundation.

O. F. – Then you will continue your Millennial Gazette^a and disappoint your friends who have so long waited for your promise to be fulfilled?

R. O. – I will compromise this...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Introductory Note
• The Life of Robert Owen, written by Himself, vol. 1 (1857)
• Appendix: Owen’s Account of some later Events
• Consolidated Index to Volumes 1–4