PROUDHON, PIERRE ;JOSEPH, a noted French publicist and speculator on social and political subjects, was b. July 15, 1809, at Besancon, in which town his father was a poor cooper. Through the good offices of charitable friends, he .received the rudiments of his education at the college of his native place, and front the first gave great promise of talent; while still very young, however, he quitted the institution in order to aid his family, which had fallen into great distress, mid sought employment in a printing estab lishment. Here he was noted for the most punctual discharge of duty; and in the hours not occupied in work, lie contrived, by a rare exercise of resolution, to complete and extend his education. In 1830 lie declined an offer of the editorship of it ministerial journal, preferring an honorable independence :is a workman, to the career of a writer pledged to the support of authority. He became partner in 1837 with MM. Lambert and Maurice in the development of a new typographical process; was engaged on an edition of the Bible, to which he contributed notes on the principles of the Hebrew language; and in 1838 published an Essai de Grommaire Generale; in approval of which, a trien nial pension of 1500 francs was awarded to him by the academie de Besancon. On this accession of funds, he paid a visit to Paris; and subsequently contributed to the Ency Catholique of M. Parent DesbaiTes the articles Apostasie, A; itealypse, and others. In 1840 he issued the work entitled Qu'est-ce gee la Proprietel which afterward became so famous. The nature of the doctrine announced in it is sufficiently indicated in its bold paradox, soon to be widely popularized—La Propr2ite, c'est le ['hi. At the moment it attracted little notice; and the sole results to its author were the withdrawal of Ids pension by the academy, on the score of his noxious opinions. and the threat of a prose cution, which, was departed from at the instance of M. Blanqui, the political economist, to whom reference in the matter was made. In 1842, for a repetition of offense in his Arertissement aux Propriitaires, lie actually seas prosecuted before the ('our d'Assises of Besancon, but succeeded in obtaining an acquittal. From 1843 to 1847 Proudhon was employed at Lyons, under MM. Gauthier, in the Fuperintendenee of a scheme of water-transport on the rivers Saone and Rhone; publishing during this time at Paris the two works entitled De la Creation de l'Ordre dans l' Bunianite, and Systeme des Contradictions Economiques.
With the outburst of the revolution of Feb., 1848. the opportunity of Proudhon had arrived. He instantly repaired to Paris, and on April 1st he came before the public as editor of the Representat du People, instantly, by his fierce and vigorous advocacy of extreme democratic and socialistic opinions, making his mark as a leading figure of the hour. His paper was suppressed in August following; but meantime, on June 4, no less than 77.094 enthusiastic admirers had voted hint into the constituent assembly as representative of the department of the Seine. His career as a senator, if brief, brought
hint at least notoriety. La ProprWte, c'est le Vol, though a maxim much commending itself to the moral sense of the hungry masses, naturally failed to find like acceptance with an audience mostly with some sous in the pocket. Proudhon soon ceased to address the assembly, for, so soon as he ascended the tribune, the indignant roar which saluted him rendered audible speech impossible. Under these circumstances Proudhon once more betook himself to his pen, and, as editor of three daily journals in succession, avenged himself on the adversaries who declined vied rose to lister, to him, the chief victims of his savage personalities being MM. Ledru-Rollin, de Lamartine, Louis Blanc, Considerant, Cavaignac, etc. All three papers—Le People (Nov. 23, 1848—April, 1849), La Voix du People (Oct., 1849—May. 1850), Le People de 1850 (June 15—Oct. 13)—were in turn suppressed as anarchic and obnoxious. During their continuance he was repeat edly subjected to fines, which were defrayed for him by popular subscription.
In Jan., 1849, be attempted a reduction of his theories to practice by the institution of a Longue du people. This project, which laud for its object la suppression du capital, speedily experienced at the hands of "capital " the fate it had intended to inflict. The hank was closed by authority, and its originator fled to Geneva, to escape threatened imprisonment. In June, however, lie returned, and his next three years were passed in the prison of St. Pelagic. While shut up there, he married. During his imprison ment he gave to the world the works entitled Confessions d'un Rerolutionaire (1849), Aetes de la lieralution (1849), Oratuite du Credit (1850). and La Ejrolutimi. Sociale demontree par ki Coup d'Etat(1852); the last of which Is remarkable, in the light of subsequent events, for the clearness with which he states the alternative of ranarchie ou le Cesarisme, as pressed on Louis Napoleon, then president. In June, 1852, he was set at liberty; and quitting Paris, no longer a desirable abode for such unquiet spirits, went to Belgium, where he continued to publish from time to time ou his favorite subjects of speculation_ He died in obscurity at Paris, Jan. 19, 1865.
Monstrous as arc the social theories with which, in the history of his time, the name of Proudhon remains connected, his power as a writer is not to be denied. It may be questioned how far he was at any time the dupe of his own paradoxes, or blind to the utter insufficiency of the premises from which, with a show of scientific rigor, he evolved his portentous results. It is related that in the negotiation of his marriage, he was very sharply solicitous as to the disposal of certain property possessed by the lady; and that ou her notary venturing some surprised allusion to the famous La Plapriete c' est Yol, the philosopher gravely replied, "Be pleased, my- dear sir, on such an occasion as the present, to be, if possible, a little serious."