Richard Lahautière
Encyclopedia
Auguste-Richard Lahautière (1813-1882) (also known as Richard de la Hautière) was a French socialist, journalist and lawyer. He is commonly grouped with Théodore Dézamy
, Albert Laponneraye
, Jean-Jacques Pillot
and others as belonging to the Neo-Babouvist
tendency in French nineteenth-century socialism, which formed a link from the utopian communism of Gracchus Babeuf to Marxism
.
. In 1835 he obtained a law degree and was called to the bar in Paris, but he was by then already more interested in political journalism.
Lahautière had become attracted to socialist ideas as a young man. At first he was interested in Saint-Simonism. He greatly admired Pierre Leroux
, a former Saint-Simonian who became a noted socialist writer in the 1830s. Lahautiére was also attracted to the communist republicanism of Philippe Buonarroti
and other followers of Babeuf. In the 1830s, Lahautière contributed to the journal L'Intelligence and to Albert Laponneraye's Égalité, both devoted to the propagation of socialist, communist and republican ideas. In 1841, he founded his own paper, La Fraternité. In 1840 he collaborated with the famous utopian communist Étienne Cabet
in writing the pamphlet Boulets Rouges. His best-known work was probably De la Loi sociale (1841), dedicated to Pierre Leroux.
Lahautière sympathized with the Revolution of 1848 but played no significant role in it. After the coup d'état of Louis Bonaparte
in December of 1851, Lahautière withdrew from politics and moved to Blois, where he practised law and published poetry. He died on June 27, 1882, at Vendôme. In his writings Lahautière combined republicanism and communism with a kind of holistic metaphysical materialism and a rudimentary class analysis of history.
Études et souvenirs. Poésies. Paris, Rouanet, 1840.
Petit catéchisme de la réforme sociale. Senlis, 1839.
Réponse Philosophique à un Article sur le Babouvisme, publié par M. Thoré, dans le Journal du peuple., Paris, 1840.
Boulets rouges. (with Étienne Cabet), Paris, Fiquet, 1840.
De la Loi sociale, Paris, 1841.
Les Déjeuners de Pierre. Dialogues. Paris, 1841.
Causerie sur Ronsard Vendôme, 1863.
Élégies de Tibulle. Vendôme, 1879.
Rimes détachées. Vendôme, 1881.
Première jeunesse, Illusions. - Dix ans après, Désillusions. Vendôme, 1882.
Bravo, G.M., Les Socialistes avant Marx. Two volumes. Paris, 1970.
Hecht, J., 'French Utopian Socialists and the Population Question: "Seeking the Future City".' Population and Development Review, vol. 14, 1988, p. 49-73.
Maitron, J., and C. Pennetier (ed's), Dictionnaire Biographique du Mouvement Ouvrier français. Paris, 1997.
Garaudy, R., Les Sources françaises du Socialisme scientifique. Paris, 1948.
Théodore Dézamy
Alexandre Théodore Dézamy was a French socialist, a representative of the Neo-Babouvist tendency in early French communism, along with Albert Laponneraye, Richard Lahautière, Jacques Pillot and others. He was also an early associate of Louis-Auguste Blanqui...
, Albert Laponneraye
Albert Laponneraye
Albert Laponneraye was a French republican socialist and a journalist, popular historian, educator and editor of Robespierre's writings. He was a representative of the Neo-Babouvist tendency in the 1840s, along with Richard Lahautière, Jean-Jacques Pillot and others. He combined Jacobin...
, Jean-Jacques Pillot
Jean-Jacques Pillot
Jean-Jacques Pillot was a French revolutionary and republican communist. He participated in the Revolution of 1848 and in the Paris Commune of 1871.-Early Life:...
and others as belonging to the Neo-Babouvist
Neo-Babouvism
Neo-Babouvism is a term commonly used to designate a revolutionary communist current in French political theory and action in the nineteenth century....
tendency in French nineteenth-century socialism, which formed a link from the utopian communism of Gracchus Babeuf to Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
.
Life
Auguste Richard de la Hautière, who dropped his aristocratic-sounding 'de' and went by 'Richard Lahautière', was born in Paris on May 21, 1813. He was educated at the Institution Saint-Victor (now the Lycée Chaptal). In 1828 he won second prize in Latin composition and on that occasion had his portrait painted by the famous Eugène DelacroixEugène Delacroix
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school...
. In 1835 he obtained a law degree and was called to the bar in Paris, but he was by then already more interested in political journalism.
Lahautière had become attracted to socialist ideas as a young man. At first he was interested in Saint-Simonism. He greatly admired Pierre Leroux
Pierre Leroux
Pierre Henri Leroux , French philosopher and political economist, was born at Bercy, now a part of Paris, the son of an artisan.- Life :...
, a former Saint-Simonian who became a noted socialist writer in the 1830s. Lahautiére was also attracted to the communist republicanism of Philippe Buonarroti
Philippe Buonarroti
Filippo Giuseppe Maria Ludovico Buonarroti more usually referred to under the French version Philippe Buonarroti was an Italian egalitarian and utopian socialist, revolutionary, journalist, writer, agitator, and freemason; he was mainly active in France.-Early activism:Buonarroti was born in Pisa...
and other followers of Babeuf. In the 1830s, Lahautière contributed to the journal L'Intelligence and to Albert Laponneraye's Égalité, both devoted to the propagation of socialist, communist and republican ideas. In 1841, he founded his own paper, La Fraternité. In 1840 he collaborated with the famous utopian communist Étienne Cabet
Étienne Cabet
Étienne Cabet was a French philosopher and utopian socialist. He was the founder of the Icarian movement and led a group of emigrants to found a new society in the United States.-Biography:...
in writing the pamphlet Boulets Rouges. His best-known work was probably De la Loi sociale (1841), dedicated to Pierre Leroux.
Lahautière sympathized with the Revolution of 1848 but played no significant role in it. After the coup d'état of Louis Bonaparte
Louis Bonaparte
Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, Prince Français, Comte de Saint-Leu , King of Holland , was the fifth surviving child and the fourth surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino...
in December of 1851, Lahautière withdrew from politics and moved to Blois, where he practised law and published poetry. He died on June 27, 1882, at Vendôme. In his writings Lahautière combined republicanism and communism with a kind of holistic metaphysical materialism and a rudimentary class analysis of history.
Works
Richard Lahautière's writings are not generally available in English. A selection of his French works includes:Études et souvenirs. Poésies. Paris, Rouanet, 1840.
Petit catéchisme de la réforme sociale. Senlis, 1839.
Réponse Philosophique à un Article sur le Babouvisme, publié par M. Thoré, dans le Journal du peuple., Paris, 1840.
Boulets rouges. (with Étienne Cabet), Paris, Fiquet, 1840.
De la Loi sociale, Paris, 1841.
Les Déjeuners de Pierre. Dialogues. Paris, 1841.
Causerie sur Ronsard Vendôme, 1863.
Élégies de Tibulle. Vendôme, 1879.
Rimes détachées. Vendôme, 1881.
Première jeunesse, Illusions. - Dix ans après, Désillusions. Vendôme, 1882.
Sources and References
Billington, J.H., Fire in the Minds of Men: Origins of the Revolutionary Faith. New York, 1980.Bravo, G.M., Les Socialistes avant Marx. Two volumes. Paris, 1970.
Hecht, J., 'French Utopian Socialists and the Population Question: "Seeking the Future City".' Population and Development Review, vol. 14, 1988, p. 49-73.
Maitron, J., and C. Pennetier (ed's), Dictionnaire Biographique du Mouvement Ouvrier français. Paris, 1997.
Garaudy, R., Les Sources françaises du Socialisme scientifique. Paris, 1948.