ABSTRACT
Francois Marie Charles Fourier, the son of Charles and of Marie Muguet, was born at Besancon, on 7 April 1772; he died in Paris on 7 October 1837. Living amidst the tumultuous times of the French Revolution, Fourier took a keen interest in his surroundings and in the events of the day, often visiting the reading rooms in his spare moments for the latest news and theories. Fourier’s activities and publications were never a threat to the security of the state, nor were they ever considered more than “interesting if impractical” by the authorities. Fourier never married and as is the wont with many bachelors he appreciated good living and loved animals, especially cats “avec une sollicitude toute paternelle”. Dr. M. H. Johnes likewise maintains that Saint-Simon and Fourier, although of the same progressive school of thought, nevertheless belong to different streams. Fourier always claimed that his theories were absolutely new and owed nothing to book learning.
