Igalai Travel Diary, Volume 1

Author: Etienne Cabet
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-04-01
Features: Voyage to Icaria is the masterpiece of the famous French utopian socialist Etienne Cabet (1788—1856). Published in 1840 as The Journey and Adventures of Sir William Gillis in Icaria, it was renamed Voyage to Icaria: A Philosophical and Social Novel in its second edition in 1842. It is a literary genre. The book boldly criticizes the old social system. It argues that the old social system has three flaws: (1) inequality between wealth and welfare, (2) private ownership is the root cause of social evils, and (3) money is a significant contributor to social evils. It vividly depicts the various evils of capitalism and points out that the main flaws of the existing political system stem from the fact that "laws are made by the nobility or the wealthy." In the old system, the army, prisons, and police are tools of "retribution and oppression" against the people. From this, he concludes that the unequal system and its roots must be eradicated and replaced with an equal system that brings happiness to humanity. The book envisions the establishment of an "Icarian Republic" without exploitation, where everyone is equal and voluntarily united. The basic principles of this ideal republic are that every individual is a member of society and a brother, with complete equality in rights and obligations, and that means of production and consumption are socially owned. It advocates that the new ideal state should implement a fully planned economy, fully utilize people's talents, and develop productive forces to the utmost extent, creating a society with advanced industry, agriculture, and transportation. In terms of consumer goods distribution, it proposes "distribution according to need." Politically, it is a "democratic republic," where sovereignty belongs to the people, exercised by a people's assembly, with a separation of legislative and executive powers, with the latter subordinate to the former, collective leadership, and public officials elected by the people and subject to their supervision. Additionally, the ideal state would prioritize education, promote gender equality and freedom of marriage, and adhere to the principle of friendly relations with foreign countries, avoiding treachery, expansionism, and interference in neighboring countries' affairs. Many of his proposals in the book remain relevant today. However, overall, its theoretical foundation is based on the bourgeois "rationalist" doctrine, lacking scientific rigor and being highly limited. When published, the book was warmly welcomed by the broad working masses and is an important document in the history of the development of socialist thought.