Henri de Saint-Simon

Aguste Comte

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Zeev Sternhell

It is true that fascism has not spawned the same level of an intellectual movement as liberalism and Marxism, but the counter-Enlightenment does have a multitude of works that any fascist should read. In an attempt to help out anyone who may want to read up on this anti-liberal, anti-Marxist ideology, I have compiled this list of works.It is broken into several major sections, each one labeled. This post will detail the first.The works in this section are meant as broad tools to introduce individuals into the early theoretical make up of fascism, in the early 1900s, before the term "Fascist" was even introduced. This section includes both primary and secondary works. These works are available online - simply run a search on Google.Henri was a French aristocrat, and one of the world's first socialists - though, by no means, a Marxist. His brand of Christian socialism and moralism formed the basis of syndicalism, and eventually, corporatism. I recommend:Letters from an Inhabitant of Geneva to His Contemporaries This work is composed of three letters, addressed to three classes of society. The first letter is addressed to the innovators: artists, scientists, and others, who he argues should make up a ruling elite over the other two classes, which correspond roughly to the bourgeoisie and petty bourgeoisie.To all Englishmen and Frenchmen who are passionate about the public good This second letter is similar. In it, Saint-Simon argues that scientific observation and reasoning should form the basis for human progress.l’Industrie This is without a doubt his most famous work, and the largest on this list. In this work, Saint-Simon establishes the syndicalist ideas that will eventually form corporatist thought. He favored limiting the roles of the nobility, church, and the non-productive "merchants", and placing power in the hands of the industrialists and producers. However, there was some deviation from this work and the eventual application of fascism. His idea that industry should be free of government intervention, for example, is decidedly liberal - which fascism is not. His idea that government should aim to synthesize and make its priorities manufacturing, industry, and production, however, remained very important in later fascist thought.l’Organisateur This is Saint-Simon's last major work and influence on fascist thought. To put it simply, he criticized the contemporary way that government was organized, which put power in the hands of those he called useless - the clergy, aristocracy, and merchants. In his ideal society, power would belong to the industrialists, skilled workers, and scientists. This is a major influence on corporatist thought, as he advocated the creation of an "industrial assembly", alongside scientific and artistic chambers, to rule the nation.Comte was a contemporary and student of Saint-Simon, and worked heavily with him. His ideas influenced and reflected Saint-Simon's own, and are worthy of reading.Prospectus Another work refining Saint-Simon's ideas in l'Organisateur.Système de Politique Positive This work is important as it was a specific plan for how the society detailed by Saint-Simon could actually be put into place, and why society would benefit from doing so. The English title is "Plan for the scientific work required for society’s reorganisation"The famous anarchist is also a contributor to fascist thought. One must remember that fascism stems from national syndicalism, which itself stems from revolutionary syndicalism, which was often anarchistic. Fascism is thus an off-shoot of anarchy, one fueled by a revulsion for the materialist classification of humanity.The Philosophy of Poverty This work is his most important. Proudhon rejects democracy, liberalism, Marxism, parliamentarianism, and embraces syndicalism, the family, tradition, and the nation. Although Proudhon would move beyond this work, this is his primary contribution to fascist thought, and if one is to read one work of the proto-fascists, I recommend this one. This work represents a major departure from Marxist socialism, as evidenced by Marx's rather childish response with the work titled "The Poverty of Philosophy".This author is not a contemporary of the others, and in fact, came to prominence in the 1980s and beyond. His portrait graces my avatar. He is the world's leading historian on fascism, and fascist development of thought. I have spoken with him personally on two occasions, and I find his works to be excellent overviews of how fascist theory developed, particularly in France and Italy. His works are still not available in their entirety online, so I will post links below to where one may purchase them. If you read no primary source, read these: Fascism: A Reader's Guide