British Liberalism and the Legacy of Saint-Simon : the Case of Richard Cobden

Abstract

This article examines the important engagement of the British liberal Richard Cobden (1804-1865) with the ‘practical socialism’ of Saint-Simonism. Cobden established close personal ties with leading Saint-Simonians, but what particularly drew them together was a common vision of free trade, peace, and global economic progress. This ideological affinity led to close practical cooperation in schemes such as the Anglo- French commercial Treaty of 1860 but they remained fundamentally divided on the value of colonies. Here Cobden’s liberal belief in the self-organisation of society through individual freedom clashed with the Saint-Simonian readiness to promote the civilizational benefits of colonial domination.