reading (Charles Fourier)

I finished off the last few pages of Jonathan Beecher's biography of Charles Fourier today after a marathon reading session yesterday. This is a considerable book, weighing in at 500 pages of text and almost another 100 pages of endnotes. It is amazingly readable for a biography of a philosopher. I was impressed by Beecher's knowledge of Fourier's work, which is extensive, and the historical and cultural context. There is enough detail of Fourier's theories in the middle section to give a good introduction to them I think. Beecher isn't afraid to say, we don't know or you can't tell, which lends credibility to the rest of what he asserts.

If you're interested in Fourier, his work, his life, and his place in socialist utopian history I'd recommend this book. It's not a quick read but I think it treats the subject well.

I will leave discussion of Fourier's theories to a separate post.

1. Jonathan Beecher "Charles Fourier"