Forerunners of socialism in the early nineteenth century

When Karl Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1848, socialism had only begun to emerge as an ideology. The meaning of socialism, communism and related ideas were heavily contested and unfinished. Marx and Engels made a distinctive contribution by defining socialism as the self-emancipation of the working class. Understanding where these ideas came from is necessary for the renewal of an authentic international revolutionary socialist left.

The following 12 articles introduce some of the key individuals and tendencies of early nineteenth century socialism before the Communist Manifesto. Each has a brief summary of their lives, key ideas, criticism and useful reading in English.

1 Origins

2 Saint-Simon

3 Fourier

4 Owen

5 Saint-Simonians

6 Fourierists

7 Early socialist feminists

8 Tristan

9 Babeuf

10 Blanqui

11 Cabet

12 Early Communists