Claude-Henri de Saint-Simon

Claude-Henri de Saint-Simon (1760-1825) was a French political and economic theorist, known for his early advocacy of socialism and his vision of a society organized around science and industry rather than aristocracy and inherited wealth. He believed in the importance of social reform and the cooperative efforts of society to achieve collective well-being. His ideas laid the groundwork for later socialist movements and influenced a number of thinkers and movements, including those of utopian socialism. Saint-Simon's work emphasized the role of the industrialist and the necessity of social cooperation, marking a departure from revolutionary violence as a means of achieving social change.