ENFANTIN, BARTHELEMY PROSPER French social reformer, one of the founders of the Saint-Simonian School, was born at Paris on Feb. 8, 1796. He was the son of a banker of Dauphiny, and after receiving his early education at a lyceum, was sent in 1813 to the Ecole Polytechnique. In 1821 he entered a banking-house newly established at St. Petersburg, but returned two years later to Paris, where he was appointed cashier to the Caisse Hypothecaire. At the same time he became a member of the secret society of the Carbonari. In 1825 a new turn was given to his thoughts and his life by the friendship which he formed with Olinde Rodriguez, who introduced him to Saint-Simon. He embraced the new doctrines with ardour, and by 1829 had become one of the acknowledged heads of the sect (see SAINT-SIMON) .
After the revolution of 183o Enfantin devoted himself wholly to his cause. Besides contributing to the Globe newspaper, he made appeals to the people by systematic preaching, and organ ized centres of action in some of the principal cities of France. The headquarters in Paris were removed from the modest rooms in the rue Taranne, and established in large halls near the boule vard Italien. Enfantin and Bazard (q.v.) were proclaimed "Peres Supremes." A hopeless antagonism arose between them, which was widened by Enfantin's announcement of his theory of the relation of man and woman, which would substitute for the "tyranny of marriage" a system of "free love." Bazard now sep arated from his colleague, and in his withdrawal was followed by all those whose chief aim was philosophical and political. Enfantin thus became sole "father," and the few who were chiefly attracted by his religious pretensions and aims still adhered to him. New converts joined them, and Enfantin declared that his followers in France numbered 40,000. In May 1832 the halls of the new sect were closed by the government, and the "father," with some of his followers, appeared before the tribunals. He now retired to his estate at Menilmontant, near Paris, where with 4o disciples, all of them men, he continued to carry out his socialistic views. In August of the same year he was again arrested, and sentenced to a year's imprisonment with a small fine.
Enfantin was released in a few months, and then, accompanied by some of his followers, he went to Egypt where he spent two years. On his return to France he became first a postmaster near Lyons, and in 1841 was appointed member of a scientific com mission on Algeria. In 1845 he was appointed a director of the Paris and Lyons railway. Three years later he established. in conjunction with Duveyrier, a daily journal, entitled Le Credit, which was discontinued in 185o. He died suddenly at Paris on Sept. 1, 1864.
Amongst his works are: Doctrine de (written in con junction with several of his followers), published in 183o, and several times republished ; Economie politique et politique Saint-Simonienne (1831) ; Correspondance politique ; Corresp. philos. et religieuse (1843-1845) ; Colonisation de l'Algerie (1843) , a learned and original work ; and La Vie eternelle passee, presente, future 0860. See G. Weill, L'Ecole Saint-Simonienne, son histoire, son influence, jusqu' a nos jours (Paris, 1896) .