Morelly
Encyclopedia
Morelly was the author of The Code of Nature, published in France in 1755. This book severely criticized the society of his day and proposed a constitution intended to lead to a good society. His writing clearly fits into the category of utopian literature (see Utopianism.)
Because of this latter characteristic of his utopia, Morelly is often seen as a significant forerunner of later socialist and communist thinkers. Charles Fourier
, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
, Louis Blanc
, Friedrich Engels
, and Karl Marx
all discussed Morelly's ideas in their own writing.
How, then, would workers gain access to tools and equipment beyond personal possession if their job required it? According to Morelly, "...all these durable products will be gathered together in public stores in order to be distributed to all the citizens, daily or at some other specified interval ..."
He also proposed banning of trade between individuals: "In accordance with the sacred laws, nothing will be sold or exchanged between citizens. Someone who needs, for example greens, vegetables or fruits, will go to the public square, which is where these items will have been brought by the man who cultivate them, and take want he needs for one day only."
Morelly is often identified as an obscure tutor about which almost nothing is known except that he lived in a small town in northwestern France, Vitry-le-Francois.
Recent research, however, points to the possibility that Morelly never actually existed but was, rather, a pseudonym. No records of his birth or death exist and no record exists of anyone mentioning that they had met such a man in the eighteenth century. Some have proposed that François-Vincent Toussaint
was the true author of the works attributed to Morelly while others believe that Denis Diderot
was the true author.
.
Outline
According to The Code of Nature, "...where no property exists, none of its pernicious consequences could exist...." As he believed that almost all social and moral ills were a consequence of private property, it is not surprising that his proposed constitution eliminates most private property.Because of this latter characteristic of his utopia, Morelly is often seen as a significant forerunner of later socialist and communist thinkers. Charles Fourier
Charles Fourier
François Marie Charles Fourier was a French philosopher. An influential thinker, some of Fourier's social and moral views, held to be radical in his lifetime, have become main currents in modern society...
, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon was a French politician, mutualist philosopher and socialist. He was a member of the French Parliament, and he was the first person to call himself an "anarchist". He is considered among the most influential theorists and organisers of anarchism...
, Louis Blanc
Louis Blanc
Louis Jean Joseph Charles Blanc was a French politician and historian. A socialist who favored reforms, he called for the creation of cooperatives in order to guarantee employment for the urban poor....
, Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...
, and Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
all discussed Morelly's ideas in their own writing.
Morelly's position
As did the later writer Proudhon, Morelly did not call for the elimination of all private property. Among the "sacred and fundamental laws" he proposed was "Nothing in society will belong to anyone, either as a personal possession or as capital goods, except the things for which the person has immediate use, for either his needs, his pleasures, or his daily work." He was opposed, however, to the ownership of property beyond what an individual needed and, especially, to private property used to employ others.How, then, would workers gain access to tools and equipment beyond personal possession if their job required it? According to Morelly, "...all these durable products will be gathered together in public stores in order to be distributed to all the citizens, daily or at some other specified interval ..."
He also proposed banning of trade between individuals: "In accordance with the sacred laws, nothing will be sold or exchanged between citizens. Someone who needs, for example greens, vegetables or fruits, will go to the public square, which is where these items will have been brought by the man who cultivate them, and take want he needs for one day only."
Morelly is often identified as an obscure tutor about which almost nothing is known except that he lived in a small town in northwestern France, Vitry-le-Francois.
Recent research, however, points to the possibility that Morelly never actually existed but was, rather, a pseudonym. No records of his birth or death exist and no record exists of anyone mentioning that they had met such a man in the eighteenth century. Some have proposed that François-Vincent Toussaint
François-Vincent Toussaint
François-Vincent Toussaint was a French writer most famous for Les Mœurs . The book was published in 1748 and was soon prosecuted and burned by the French court of justice....
was the true author of the works attributed to Morelly while others believe that Denis Diderot
Denis Diderot
Denis Diderot was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer. He was a prominent person during the Enlightenment and is best known for serving as co-founder and chief editor of and contributor to the Encyclopédie....
was the true author.
.