ENFANTIN, BARTHÉLEMY PROSPER

bärtālmēˈ prôspĕrˈ äNfäNtăNˈ, 1796–1864, French socialist, sometimes called Père Enfantin. He became a leader of the movement started by the comte de Saint-Simon. Under his guidance the Saint-Simonian school put increasing emphasis upon religious and moral regeneration and less upon political reform. Following a schism developing out of Enfantin's disagreement with Saint-Amand Bazard over marriage reform, Enfantin established (1832) a monastic settlement for the remnants of the movement at Ménilmontant. It disintegrated with the imprisonment of Enfantin for a year on charges of incitement to immorality and financial fraud. After his release he devoted himself mainly to business enterprises. His writings include Religion Saint-Simonienne (1831) and Life Eternal (1861, tr. 1920).

See his complete works (16 vol., 1868–78).

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved.

-15571-