Pierre Leroux | |
|---|---|
 Leroux, 1865 | |
| Born | Pierre Henri Leroux (1797-04-07)7 April 1797 |
| Died | 12 April 1871(1871-04-12) (aged 74) |
| Occupation | Philosopher, economist |
Pierre Henri Leroux (French:[ləʁu]; 7 April 1797 – 12 April 1871) was a Frenchphilosopher andpolitical economist. He was born atBercy, now a part ofParis, the son of anartisan.
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His education was interrupted by the death of his father, which compelled him to support his mother and family. Having worked first as a mason and then as acompositor, he joined P. Dubois in the foundation ofLe Globe which became in 1831 the official organ of theSaint-Simonian community, of which he became a prominent member. In November of the same year, whenProsper Enfantin became leader of the Saint-Simonians and preached the enfranchisement of women and the functions of thecouple-prêtre, Leroux separated himself from the sect.[1] In 1834, he published an essay entitled "Individualism and Socialism" which, despite its message of scepticism towards both tendencies, introduced the termsocialism in French political discourse.[2]: 105 In 1838, withJean Reynaud, who had seceded with him, he founded theEncyclopédie nouvelle (eds. 1838–1841). Amongst the articles which he inserted in it wereDe l'égalité andRefutation de l'éclectisme, which afterwards appeared as separate works.[1]
In 1840, he published his treatiseDe l'humanité (2nd ed. 1845), which contains the fullest exposition of his system, and was regarded as the philosophical manifesto of theHumanitarians. In 1841 he established theRevue indépendante, with the aid ofGeorge Sand, over whom he had great influence. HerSpiridion, which was dedicated to him,Sept cordes de la lyre,Consuelo, andLa Comtesse de Rudolstadt, were written under the Humanitarian inspiration.[1] Leroux also became embroiled in the philosophical controversy betweenF. W. J. Schelling and theYoung Hegelians in the early 1840s. A favourable comment about Schelling prompted a public reply from Hegel's discipleKarl Rosenkranz.[3]
In 1843, he established at Boussac (Creuse) a printing association organized according to his systematic ideas, and founded theRevue sociale.[1] At the outbreak of theRevolution of 1848 Leroux proclaimed the republic in the town of Boussac, becoming its mayor on February 25.[citation needed] Subsequently, he was elected to theConstituent Assembly, and in 1849 to theLegislative Assembly,[1] where he sat with the radical socialist deputies and often spoke, though his speeches were criticised as abstract and mystical. Within the Assembly, Leroux represented theSeine Department.[4]
An opponent ofLouis Bonaparte, Leroux went into exile after thecoup d'état of 1851, settling with his family inJersey, where he pursued agricultural experiments and wrote hissocialist poemLa Grève de Samarez.[2]: 106 Karl Marx nominated Leroux for the Central Committee of theInternational Workingmen's Association.[5] On the definitiveamnesty of 1869 he returned to Paris.[1]
Leroux's fundamental philosophical principle is that of what he calls the "triad"—a triplicity which he finds to pervade all things, which inGod is "power, intelligence and love," in man "sensation, sentiment and knowledge".[1]
Leroux was described as aProtestant.[6] His religious doctrine ispantheistic; and, rejecting the belief in a future life as commonly conceived, he substitutes for it a theory ofmetempsychosis. In social economy he preserves thefamily,country andproperty, but finds in all three, as they now are, adespotism which must be eliminated. He imagines certain combinations by which this triple tyranny can be abolished. His solution seems to require the creation of families without heads, countries without governments and property withoutright of possession. In politics he advocates absolute equality—ademocracy.[1]
His views might be considered anti-Semitic in present times. Leroux believed thatJewish-controlled banks had replaced the social institution of the churches with modern values which he had a negative view of: "We are destined to a future where individualism and egoism will triumph at the expense of the social good; the Jews, a people who epitomize individualism and egoism, are thus predestined to triumph over others." Leroux is highly critical of the modern capitalist economic system which he blames on Jews. According to Leroux, Jews, who had once crucified Jesus, were crucifying the Christian world with capitalist tyranny.[7]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Leroux, Pierre".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 485. This work in turn cites: