New-York daily tribune., 1843-07-22
Doctrine of Association.
IComm,,nicated.l


Communicated
u Any project of Reform, and particularly
such a Reform as We proposc-a lSocinl Re I
form-must excite strong prejudices in q great
many minds. Many persons, no doubt, look I
upon our plan of Social Reform as visionary and
absurd, or as the nero idle scheme and device OF
some individual who has undertaken to substl-
tutc, in the place of present Social arrangements
such System as appears to his Intelligence or
fancy better than that which exists. Nothing IS
farther from the truth the plan of a Social Re +
form, which we advocate, is based upon pro-
found Scencc,-the Science of UNIVERSAL HAR- /
MoNY; and the Laws and Institutions OF the
new Social Order which VIC desire to establish
are deduced from and based upon these Laws OF
Order and Harmony which regulate and govern
the Universe-which we see manifested IN the
harmoncs OF Mathematical Numbers, in the har
monies of Music, III the movements ofthe Planets,
II. the organic laws of the Animal and Vegetable
Kingdoms &c. &c. Men Of Science have studied
these partial manifestations of a Law of Universal
Order and Harmony, but they have not yet been
able to discover the great LAW itself Tins IS what
FOURIER has DONE he has iarenteG nothing; he
has diScorered a great Law Of Nature,-thc Law
OF Universal Harmony-which Law he terms the
Law oF THE SERIES. Fourier died IN lo3 and,
in commcmoration OF this most important OF
Scientific discoveries, the following inscription
has been engraved on his tomb
Tie Series Distributes tie HarmOnies Of the Unicefse
Fourier does not wish to force upon the World
any plan or scheme OF Society ofhs own: he has
deduced, from the Law OF Universal Harmony
which he discovered, the plan or mechanism oil a
System of Society which, when established upon
earth, will produce Order, Harmony and Happl-
ness where Disorder, Discord and Misery now
reign; and, to prove the truth OF the principles
OF this new Social Order we wish to make one
experiment upon small scale-wlth few hun
dred pcrsons and one or two thousand acres OF
land that is, we wish to establish one Asso-
ciation If the Social principles which we advo-
cate are true, and prove highly advantageous IN
! practice ON a small scale, they VIII be apPheo
rapidly and by general consent, and great 90
cial Reform will be effected without commohon,
disorder, or the injuring of any class OF Society.
We declare that no plan OF Social Reform, no
System Of Society, is worthy of confidence and
should receive any serious attention unless 1t be
based upon u Scientific foundation, upon positive
and mathematical Laws which have their tounda-
ton in Nature. or, rather which are manifested IN
Nature having their origin and foundation In the
wisdom Of the Creator. This condition is com
pletely fulfilled in the Social Order propounded
| nv Fourier The present eSystona of Society Is
not based upon such foundation: 1t is not based
upon universal Laws Of Order and Harmony hut
since it erists and has SO long existed, and is SO
changed; it is based they consider, upon neces
sity and they think that Fate has ordained that
things should continue as they are: hence Fate
and Necessity are, in the opinion of the word,
the foundations upon which Society naturally
rests; and it is believed that Society must con-
tnue to be blindly led on and controlled by Fate
and necessity, not nelligently directed and gov
erned by natural and universal laws OF Justice
and Harmony.
Let us point out briefly few leading contrasts
between the present System of Society and that
which we advocate:
The present System OF Society is based upon
what VIC term the System of Isolated House
holds,-that is, of single families living in scpa-
rate houses by themselves, with separate and
diverse interests. This System of Society took
its rise in the Savage state,-ln state OF
poverty, selishncss, ignorance and brutality
and has been continued ever since, through the
Palriarchal, Barbarian and Civilized forms OF So
fI,o Gov, so
ciety, assemblies individuals by couples in the hut
or wigwam This is an assemblagc for the re-
production of the species, not for the purpose OF
prosecuting Industry and the Arts and Sciences,
and the refinement and elevation Of Society. 1t
is true system for the Social infancy of the
Human Race, but not for the true and tlnal
Destiny of Mankind
In the place OF the system of isolated and sepa-
rate households or families, VIC advocate union
or association Of these separate famlLes,-say OF
about 500 or 1900 persons, who combine Tor the
purpose of prosecuting the various branches OF
Industry, Art and Science, necessary to their
moral and physical welfare and happiness who
apply their Labor, Capital and Skill IN the best
manner and divide in just and equitable man. I
ner tic product of these three sources of wealth.
Hence the first characteristic OF the Combined
Order, or the new Social Order, which We advo
cate, is ECONOMY, as the leading characteristic OF
the present Social Order is Waste. Now, Econ
omy being primary attribute of Wisdom, as Is
manifested every where in nature, andln every true
mechanism, the Waste which the present Social
Order engendess is alone proof OF the falseness
of its arrangement or its mechanism.