Fourierism

Fourierism (/ˈfʊəriərɪzəm/)^[1] Fourierism is a model of utopian socialism originated by the philosopher Charles Fourier that intended to reform society by creating self-sustaining, collaborative communities known as "phalansteries". The phalansteries were specifically designed to serve as ideal domains where their residents could live and work in peace. Each resident was to partake in tasks assigned based on their passions and abilities. Fourier believed that human inclination and emotion were the key to unlocking a socially and economically stable system, and argued that phalansteries were the best method to fully eliminate economic challenges such as poverty, inequality, and worker exploitation. By fostering a sense of voluntary cooperation and shared support and eliminating capitalist hierarchies, Fourier suggested an alternative to the existing social framework that would lead to more freedom, well-being, and fulfillment.

Never tested in practice at any scale in Fourier's lifetime, Fourierism enjoyed a brief boom in the United States of America during the mid-1840s owing largely to the efforts of his American popularizer, Albert Brisbane (1809–1890), and the American Union of Associationists, but ultimately failed as a social and economic model.^{[citation needed]} The system was briefly revived in the mid-1850s by Victor Considerant (1808–1893), a French disciple of Fourier's who unsuccessfully attempted to relaunch the model in Texas in the 1850s.^[2]