104 



MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



majority of the inhabitants had been trained from childhood 

 under his supervision, self-governing also. Had he done 

 this, his beautiful system of education, and the admirable 

 social organization founded on his far-seeing and funda- 

 mentally true philosophy of human nature, might still have 

 existed, as a beacon-light guiding us towards a better state 

 of industrial organization. In that case we should not have 

 now found ourselves, after another century of continuous 

 increase of wealth and command over nature, with a 

 much greater mass of want and misery in our midst than 

 when he first so clearly showed the means of abolishing 

 them. 



Notwithstanding this one fatal error, an error due to the 

 sensitive nobility of his character and to his optimistic behef 

 in the power of truth to make its way against all adverse 

 forces, Robert Owen will ever be remembered as one of the 

 wisest, noblest, and most practical of philanthropists, as well 

 as one of the best and most lovable of men. 



I have a recollection of having once heard him give a 

 short address at this Hall of Science," and that I was struck 

 by his tall spare figure, very lofty head, and highly benevolent 

 countenance and mode of speaking. Although later in life 

 my very scanty knowledge of his work was not sufficient to 

 prevent my adopting the individualist views of Herbert 

 Spencer and of the political economists, I have always looked 

 upon Owen as my first teacher in the philosophy of human 

 nature and my first guide through the labyrinth of social 

 science. He influenced my character more than I then knew, 

 and now that I have read his life and most of his works, I am 

 fully convinced that he was the greatest of social reformers 

 and the real founder of modern Socialism. For these reasons 

 I trust that my readers will not consider the space I have here 

 devoted to an outline of his great work at New Lanark is 

 more than the subject deserves. 



The preceding sketch of his life and work is founded 

 upon his " Life " written by himself, and accompanied by 

 such a mass of confirmatory reports and correspondence as 

 to show that it can be thoroughly relied on. It has, however. 



