The Selected Works of Robert Owen vol III

Gregory Claeys

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000415742
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Política y relaciones internacionales
• Subtopic: Comunismo, poscomunismo y socialismo

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.

TO

HIS MAJESTY, WILLIAM IV.,

KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, etc.

SIRE,

CIRCUMSTANCES, not under your controul, have placed you at the head of the most powerful association of men for good or for evil, that has hitherto existed in any part of the globe; and other circumstances are about to arise, also beyond your controul, which will render it necessary for you, Sire, and those whom you may call to your councils, to decide whether this power shall be now directed to produce the good or the evil.

The book, the first part of which, with this letter prefixed, I submit to your Majesty, contains truths, of the highest import to you, Sire, to every member of your family; to every subject of the wide-spread empire over which you preside; to every human being, high or low, now living and to all those who shall live hereafter. It unfolds the fundamental principles of a new moral world, and it thus lays a new foundation on which to re-construct society and re-create the character of the human race. It opens to the family of man, without a single exception, the means of endless progressive improvement, physical, intellectual, and moral, and of happiness, without the possibility of retrogression or of assignable limit.

Society has emanated from fundamental errors of the imagination, and all the institutions and social arrangements of man over the world have been based on these errors. Society is, therefore, through all its ramifications, artificial and corrupt, and, in consequence, ignorance, falsehood, and grave folly, alone govern all the affairs of mankind.

Under your reign, Sire, the change from this system, with all its evil consequences, to another founded on self-evident truths, insuring happiness to all, will, in all probability, be achieved; and your name, and the names of those who now govern the nations of the world will be recorded, as prominent actors, in a period the most important that has ever occurred in the history of mankind.

The world, in its present mental darkness, will rashly pronounce this change to be impracticable; or, if practicable, that it will be the work of ages. Herein all men err. The great circumstances of nature, and the existing state of human affairs, are full ripe for the change; no one material is deficient, and man cannot longer govern man without forming a union of governments and nations to effect this change.

As the change will be permanently beneficial for high and low, rich and poor, it may be effected by wise general arrangements, in peace, in order, and with high gratification to all nations and people.

At the termination of the late war of, what are called, the civilized nations, an alliance was formed by the leading governments to protect each other from individual national revolutions;^a and it was a wise measure to prevent premature changes in each state – changes desired by the people before they had acquired wisdom to give such changes a right direction.

The world has undergone a revolution of principle since that alliance was formed; the folly and wickedness of all wars, civil or national, have become too glaring not to be opposed by the cultivated mind of Europe and America. The empire, Sire, over which you preside, can no longer be governed by party proceedings, and, in consequence, your present administration, as well as any other that can now be formed, must be one of mere necessity; because, in the present state of society, individuals cannot be found to constitute one that shall be efficient. Difficulties of a similar character are arising in all countries; the old prejudices, or errors of the world, have been shaken to their foundation, and are tottering previous to their fall and final destruction.

A union of governments and nations is now required, to reconstitute society upon a new and solid basis, and to secure to the human race peace and happiness, through the right application of the discoveries, both scientific and moral, made within the last century.

Your ancestors, Sire, a hundred years ago, directed a mixed manual and scientific national power for the production of wealth and happiness, equal together to the exertions of about fifteen millions of men, to supply a population of about fifteen millions: the population and power being equal, or as one to one. You, Sire, have the direction of a mixed national power of production more than equal to the exertions of six hundred millions of men, with no assignable limit to its rapid increase, to supply a population of twenty-five millions, or as twenty-four to one. This enormous new power of the British Empire may be most advantageously given to all other populations in proportion to their number, and it is the immediate interest of Great Britain that this new power should be spread, as rapidly as possible, over all the nations of the earth. It is a boon that will be more beneficial to the givers than to the receivers.

The British nation is in the most advantageous position to propose and negotiate this alliance, now called for by an irresistible necessity, arising from the progress of knowledge. This alliance is imperative, to protect, alike, both the governments and people from the effects of ignorant violence, and to insure their progressive improvement and happiness.

Two conditions only are required to found this alliance upon a basis that will insure its permanence and success; conditions, too, that will be highly advantageous to all governments and people.

The first, That the contradictory parties shall abandon, by the most public declaration, the fundamental error on which society has been hitherto based: and second, that they shall adopt the opposite truth for base of all their future measures.

The error is unsupported by a single fact, and opposed by all facts bearing upon it; the truth is supported by every fact, and opposed by no one fact having reference to it. The necessary consequence of acting upon the error is misery; the necessary consequence of acting upon the truth will be happiness. The change may now be effected from the one to the other without injury to the mind, body, or estate of a single individual of any age, class, or rank, in any country; and every material to effect the change now, is at the controul of society, almost without effort, but certainly, with only agreeable and beneficial exercise. Neither will it be necessary to disturb private property, as now existing, or to require any labour from those who have not been trained to employment.

I offer to make all these matters plain in principle, and easy of practice, to your Government and to all civilized Governments. The whole subject has been long familiar to

Your Majesty’s faithful Friend,

ROBERT OWEN

1, Crescent Place, Burton Crescent,

1st August, 1836

^a The Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815. Austria, Prussia, Russia and Britain were allied against France.

AN ADDRESS

FROM THE
ASSOCIATION OF ALL CLASSES OF ALL NATIONS,^a
TO THE
GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLE OF ALL NATIONS;
BUT ESPECIALLY TO
THE FIVE LEADING POWERS OF EUROPE,
AND TO THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA

You are now in the midst of a conflict which involves the deepest and dearest interest of every individual of the human race; and upon its result depends the misery or happiness of the present and future generations.

It is a contest between those who believe that it is for their individual interest and happiness that man should continue to be kept in ignorance, and be governed, as heretofore, by force and fraud; and those who are convinced, that for his happiness, he should be hence forward governed by truth and justice only. The increase of knowledge renders the ultimate result of the contest no longer doubtful; but it is greatly to be desired that it should speedily terminate to the satisfaction of all parties: and it may now be made so to terminate, by the union of the six leading nations of the more civilized part of the world. For were they united to adopt simultaneously national measures, to give a wise direction to modern discoveries in the sciences of physics and of mind, they could accomplish the most magnificent results for themselves and for the entire family of man.

The inexperienced will hastily conclude that these results are impracticable, or if practicable, that men are too ignorant, vicious, and selfish to promote a change which would ensure equal privileges to all, although the benefits, thereby arising to each, should far exceed the advantages which any one can enjoy, under the existing constitution of society. We believe, that through the self-interest of man, these objections may be overcome. For the experienced know that all nations might, now, easily adopt arrangements to produce more of all kinds of wealth, essential to human happiness, than would satisfy all to the full extent of their desire, and also establish new institutions, in which the natural faculties and powers of each might be cultivated from birth, to be greatly superior to any character ever formed, or that can be formed, under any of the old institutions of the world. This vital change in the condition and character of the human race, may now be effected with only light, healthy, beneficial, and agreeable manual labour, combined with the most desirable and pleasant mental exercise; and this change may be effected in peace, with universal consent, without injury to the mind, body, or estate, of a single individual, in any rank or country.

This is the revolution which the progress of knowledge now requires from those who have hitherto ruled the destinies of nations; a revolution in the fundamental principles, and in the arrangement of society, which will essentially promote the interest, and secure the progressive happiness of all, from the highest to the lowest.

We undertake to explain the principles of nature, and to unfold the practical measures consequent upon them, by which this great revolution in human affairs may be now effected, without disorder, or evil of any kind, not even disturbing existing private properties.

We proceed one step further; and confidently state that the progress of knowledge now renders this revolution, in the general condition and character of mankind, so irresistible, that no earthly power can prevent or much retard its course; and it will be effected either by reason, or by violence forced upon society by the mental degradation of all, and the extreme misery of the many. We, therefore, as the disinterested friends of all Classes of all Nations, recommend to all Governments and People, that the old prejudices of the world, for or against class, sect, party, country, sex, and colour, derived solely from ignorance, should be now allowed, by the common consent of all, to die their natural death; that standing armies of all nations should be disbanded, in order that the men may be employed in producing instead of destroying wealth; that the rising generation should be educated from birth to become superior in character and conduct to all past generations; that all should be trained to have as much enjoyment in producing as in using or consuming wealth, which, through the progress of science, can be easily effected; that all should freely partake of it; and that, thus, the reign of peace, intelligence, and universal sympathy, or affection, may, for ever, supersede the reign of ignorance and oppression.

^a Owen’s main organisation in the last phase of his active career. Founded in 1835, the AACAN co-ordinated branch activities and was chiefly concerned to raise funds for a new community.

DEDICATION

TO THOSE WHO PREFER A SYSTEM

OF SOCIETY WHICH WILL ENSURE THE HAPPINESS OF THE

HUMAN RACE THROUGHOUT ALL FUTURE AGES,

TO A SYSTEM WHICH,

SO LONG AS IT SHALL BE MAINTAINED,

MUST PRODUCE MISERY TO ALL.

PREFACE

THE time approaches, when, in the course of nature, the evil spirit of the world, engendered by ignorance and selfishness, will cease to exist, and when another spirit will arise, emanating from facts and experience, which will give a new direction to all the thoughts, feelings, and actions of men, and which will create a new character of wisdom and benevolence for the human race.

The present work, the first part of which is now given to the public, has been written to hasten the period of this all-important change, by explaining the cause of human evil, the means of removing it, and by unfolding a new moral world, in which evil, except as it will be recorded in the past sufferings of mankind, will be unknown; a new moral world, in which truth alone will govern all the affairs of men, and in which knowledge, unchecked by superstition or prejudice, will make an everlasting progress; – a world in which justice, for the first time, will be done to human nature, by every feeling, faculty, and power, inherent in each child, being cultivated to its full extent; and cultivated, too, by the concentrated intelligence and goodness of the age. By these measures all the external circumstances, under the controul of man, will be rearranged, and so wisely combined, that they will give full efficiency and excellence to every thought, feeling, and action of the human race.

Thus, by the superior arrangements which, through experience, man will be enabled to make, all will attain the best dispositions, habits, and manners, and the most valuable knowledge that each can be trained from infancy to receive.

In this simple, straightforward, and rational manner; in peace, and by universal consent, through conviction of its incalculable advantages to each individual, will the great change be effected, from evil to good, from misery to happiness.

To explain the principles and practices which will work out, and which must be consequent upon this change, and to make their vast superiority over the existing imaginary notions, and consequent practices of all the nations of the earth, apparent and familiar to man, is the object to be now accomplished.

The perusal, however, of this work, will be unavailing to those who are incapable of viewing the subject as comprehending an entirely new system to re-form man, and to re-constitute society. For a more limited conception of this all-important subject will only perplex the intellect, between old prejudices and new truths, and, therefore, make it less competent to understand arrangements designed to constitute a new state of human existence, one founded on the laws of nature, in direct opposition to the erroneous notions on which the arrangements of the world have been hitherto conceived, based, and constructed.

New and strange as this statement will appear, even to the most learned and experienced of the present day, let no one rashly pronounce it to be visionary; for it is a system the result of much reading, observation, and reflection, combined with extensive practical experience, and confidential communication with official public characters in various countries, and with leading minds among all classes; a system founded on the eternal laws of nature, and derived from facts and experience only; and it will be found, on full examination by competent minds, to be the least visionary, and the most easy of practice, of all the systems which have been proposed, in ancient or modern times, to improve the character and to insure the happiness of the human race.

INTRODUCTION

THE religious, moral, political, and commercial arrangements of society, throughout the world, have been based, from the commencement of history, upon an error respecting the nature of man; an error so grievous in its consequences, that it has deranged all the proceedings of society, made man irrational in his thoughts, feelings, and actions, and, consequently, more inconsistent, and perhaps more miserable, than any other animal...