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V

There is little more to say about the last phase of Saint-Simon's life. While the Catéchisme des industriels was in the process of publication, a new financial crisis in his affairs threatened him again with starvation, and early in 1823 the old man, now really discouraged, tried to blow out his brains. He recovered, however, from the self-inflicted wound with the loss of one eye, and soon assistance came from a new, enthusiastic, and this time wealthy pupil. The young banker and former instructor at the Ecole polytechnique, Olinde Rodrigues, not only provided for Saint-Simon's necessities during the last two years of his life, but also became the center of the little group which after his death developed into the Ecole Saint-Simonien. He was soon joined by the poet Léon Halévy, the physiologist Dr. Bailly, the lawyer Duveyrier, and others. With them Saint-Simon prepared the Opinions litttéaires, philosophiques et industrielles (1825) in which the banker, the poet, and the physiologist each elaborated the parts of the doctrine of the master for which they possessed special competence. Only a little later in the same year appeared the last work of Saint-Simon, marking the final phase of his work, the Nouveau christianisme.

Already for some time Saint-Simon had shown an increasing tendency away from the narrowly ``scientific'' and toward a more mystical and religious form of his doctrine. This had indeed been the final cause of the estrangement between him and Comte, who, however, was to undergo a similar change toward the end of his own career. In Saint-Simon's case this development is partly a return to his first ideas.

Since the great schism at the time of the Reformation, he argues, none of the Christian churches represents true Christianity. They have all neglected the fundamental precept that men should behave as brothers toward each other. The main object of true Christianity must be ``the speediest improvement of the moral and the physical existence of the poorest class''--a phrase which appears on almost every page of the brochure and which became the watchword of the Saint-Simonian group. Since the churches have made no use of their opportunity to improve the lot of the poor by the teaching and encouragement of the arts and the organization of industry, the Lord is now addressing the people and the princes trough His new prophet. He undertakes to reconstruct theology, which from time to time needs to be renewed, just as physics, chemistry, and physiology must be periodically rewritten.13.89 The new theology will pay more attention to the terrestrial interests of man. All that is required is an organization of industry that will assure a great amount of work of the kind which will secure the quickest advance of human intelligence. ``You can create such conditions; now that the extent of our planet is known, let the scholars, the artists and the industrialists draw up a general plan of the works which must be carried out in order that the terrestrial possessions of the human race be put to the most productive use and made the most agreeable to inhabit in all respects.''13.90

Saint-Simon survived the appearance of the Nouveau christianisme by only a few weeks. He died in May 1825 at the age of 65, calmly expecting his death while discussing future projects with the group of pupils that now surrounded him. The life that had been an example of the precepts he had laid down for all future sociologists, ``passing through all classes of society, putting oneself personally in the greatest number of different social positions, and even creating for oneself and others relationships which have never existed before,''13.91 ended in peace, tolerable comfort and even in possession of a considerable reputation.

The funeral reunited the older pupils like Thierry and Comte with the new ones. The old Saint-Simon had just seen the beginnings of the school that under his name was to spread far and wide a body of ideas derived from his work. It is due to them that he has become a figure of considerable importance in the history of social ideas. While he was certainly an original, he was scarcely an original or profound thinker. The ideas which he bequeathed to his pupils were unquestionably held by many people at the time. But by his persistence and enthusiasm he gained adherents for them among men who were capable of developing them and in whom he inspired sufficient enthusiasm to act as a body in spreading them. As one of his French biographers has said, his role was de faire flamboyer les idées comme des réclames lumineuses.13.92 He has performed it to perfection.


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