Saint Simon, Claude Henri, Comte de, a French social philosopher, the founder of French socialism, born in Paris, France, in 1760. On the breaking out of the Revolution bought a considerable quantity of confiscated land, with the view of establishing a large scientific and industrial school; the scheme was a failure. From this time he devoted himself to what he termed a "physico-political" reformation; he married and continued to pursue his career, in which good and evil were confounded. This, in 1807, came to an end, and he was compelled to become a clerk in a government office at a small salary. In 1812 he published a number of remarkable works which attracted round him many disciples. He died in 1825.


Entry from Everybody's Cyclopedia, 1912.