The Spread of Radical Ideas
I. Pre-Chapter - What were the basic tenets of liberalism, nationalism, and socialism, and what groups were most attracted to these
ideologies?
A. What are radical ideas following the peace settlement of 1815?
1. Radical - rejected conservatism; stressed tradition, hereditary monarchy, strong and privileged landowning
aristocracy, official church
a) Developed alternate ideologies - tried to convince society to act on them
b) Liberalism, nationalism, socialism w/ optimistic premise on human nature
c) Different conclusions on best way to achieve progress, how far progress should extend
2. CONTRAST: Metternich and conservatism
II. Liberalism and the Middle Class
A. Development of liberalism
1. Liberalism - equality, liberty
a) Representative govt (not autocratic)
b) Equality before the law
c) Freedom of press, speech, assembly, arbitrary arrest
2. Seen in American Rev and some of French Rev (only Louis XVIII’s Constitutional charter and GB’s
Parliament and rights of English)
B. Radical ideological competitors of liberalism in early 19th cent criticize laissez faire
1. Laissez faire - unrestricted private enterprise; no govt interference in economy
C. Revisiting Adam Smith (Chapter 18) in 1776
1. Free economy - opposed mercantilism; attempt to regulate trade
2. Freely competitive private enterprise:
a) All citizens have fair and equal opportunity to do what they did best → greater income for
everyone
3. Embraced by: Early 19th cent GB by business groups - defended right to do anything in factories
a) Outlawed labor unions - they “restricted free competition and right to work”
D. Liberal political ideals become more closely associated w/ narrow class interests
1. Early 19th cent liberals favored representative govt but wanted property qualifications w/ voting rights
a) Limited vote to well-to-do
b) Workers, peasants, lower middle class (shoplleeps, clerks, artisans) didn’t own necessary
property → can’t vote
E. Some intellectuals and conservatism opposers felt liberalism wasn’t enough
1. Called for democracy + universal voting rights (at least males)
2. More radical than liberal - more willing to be violent to achieve goals
3. Liberals and radical democratic republicans could join forces against conservatives to extent
III. The Growing Appeal of Nationalism
A. Development of nationalism
1. Nationalism - each people had its own genius and its own specific unity; often led to desire for
independent political state
a) Origins in French Rev and Napoleonic wars
B. Philosopher and early nationalism advocate Johann Gottfried von Herder
1. Each people had its own genius and own cultural unity
a) Self-evident cultural unity - manifested in common language, history, territory
(1) Dream, not reality - too many dialects, not enough understanding btwn peasants →
more division than unity
C. Turning cultural unity of nationalism into political reality
1. After 1815 exploding nationalism in central, east Euro where there were:
a) Too few states (Austria, Russia, Ottomans)
b) Too many states (Italian peninsula, German Confederation)
c) Areas w/ lots of different peoples overlapping and interacting
(1) Made territory of each people have defined boundaries in independent nation state
D. Reason for nationalism success despite poor conditions and promised upheaval
1. Development of complex industrial, urban societies - required better communication - promoted use of
standardized language
a) Growth of concentrated minority population + standardized language → push for separate
nation state
2. Industrialization, mass education
E. Nation states in 19th cent are “imagined communities” binding ppl by concept of all-embracing national identity
, 1. Symbols, ceremonies, independence holidays, patriotic parades, etc - celebrating tradition
F. 1815-1850 most nationalism believers also believed in liberalism or radical democratic republicanism
1. Liberals and democrats saw ppl as ultimate source of all govt
2. Liberals, nationalists agreed benefits of self-govt would be possible if ppl were united by common
traditions that came from local interests and class differences
G. Early nationalists believed every nation also had right to exist in freedom, develop character and spirit
1. Many nations would promote harmony and ultimate unity of all peoples
2. French historian Jules Michelet’s The People (1846) - “each citizen recognizes his country as a note in a
concert; he participates and loves the world”
3. Italian patriot Guiseppe Mazzini (1805-1872) - “we are laboring for Humanity”
4. BOTTOMLINE: liberty of individual and love of free nation overlapped
H. Early nationalists also stressed differences among ppl
1. Sense of “we, they” = sense of national mission and national superiority
a) (i.e.) Michelet believed in “superiority of France” and France was “salvation of mankind”
(1) To Russians and Germans: French seemed oppressive
IV. French Utopian socialism
A. Development of socialism
1. Socialism - backlash against individualism and fragmentation of society; move towards cooperation,
community; economic planning, economic equality, state regulation of property
a) Origins in industrially lagging France btwn factory owners and workers
2. Revolution, rise of laissez faire, emergence of modern industry transformed society - development of
selfish individualism, splitting community
a) Reorganizing society → cooperation, new sense of community
B. Socialist economic planning
1. Inspired by French emergency measures in 1793-1794
2. Govt should rationally organize economy - not depend on destructive competition
3. Desire to help poor; rich and poor should be almost economically equal
4. Private property should be strictly regulated by govt OR abolished, replaced by state, community
ownership
C. Nobleman Count Henri de Saint-Simon (1760-1825)
1. Proclaimed possibilities of industrial development - “age of gold is before us”
a) Progress = proper social organization that required “parasites” (court, aristocracy, lawyers,
churchmen) to give way to “doers” (scientists, engineers, industrialists)
(1) Doers carefully plan economy, guide it by doing public works projects, establishing
investment banks
b) Every social institution should have main goal of improving poor conditions
D. Increase socialist critique of capitalism after 1830
1. Charles Fourier (1772-1837)
a) Envisioned socialist utopia of mathematically precise, self sufficient communities of 1620 ppl
b) Advocate of women's emancipation - women “sold” to future husbands for money
(1) Called for abolition of marriage, free unions based on love, sexual freedom
E. Louis Blanc (1811-1882) and Organization of Work (1839)
1. Urged workers to fight for universal voting rights, take control of state peacefully
2. State should set up govt backed workshops to guarantee full employment
3. BOTTOMLINE: right to work becomes as sacred as other rights
F. Pierre Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865) and What is Property? (1840)
1. Property = theft; profit stolen from worker who is source of all wealth
G. French utopian socialists impact French urban workers
1. Looked to radical French Rev phase → become violently opposed to laissez faire laws denying rights to
organize guilds, unions
2. Develop sense of class
3. Aspirations of workers and utopian theorists reinforce each other → Karl Marx and socialist mvmt in
Paris in 1830s-1840s
