BLANC, Jean Joseph Louis, French his torian, publicist and socialist: b. Madrid, 29 Oct. 1811; d. 6 Dec. 1882. He studied with great success in the college at Rodez, and com pleted his education at Paris. He was for a short time an attorney's clerk, afterward a teacher of mathematics and a private tutor. Subsequently at Paris he devoted himself to the career ofjournalism, fighting stoutly in the ranks of the militant democracy. In 1839 he founded the Revue du Progres, in which first appeared his great work on socialism, 'De l'Or ganisation du Travail) (separately published in 1840). this work he condemns individual and competitive rivalry in labor; society should not be subjected to a perpetual combat, but should form a harmonious whole, in which each member should contribute according to his abil ities and be recompensed according to his needs. In 1841-44 appeared his (Histoire de Dix Ans' (1830-40), in which he vigorously exposed the trickery and jobbery of the government of Louis Philippe, and which greatly contributed to bring about its downfall. On the outbreak of the revolution of 1848 Blanc was elected a member of the provisional government, and appointed president of the commission for the discussion of the question of labor. He has been unjustly
charged with creating and organizing the dis astrous scheme of national workshops, a scheme which he strenuously opposed. After the closing of these workshops, and the June insurrection of 1848, he was prosecuted for conspiracy, but escaped to England, where he took up a length ened residence. During this period he wrote the bulk of his famous 'Histoire de la Revolu tion Francais& (12 vols., 1847-62). His other works are (Lewes sur l'Angleterre) (1865-67) ; (Histoire de la Revolution de 1848' (1870); (Questions d'Aujourd'hui et de Demain' (1873-74), etc. On the downfall of the second empire (1870) Blanc returned to Paris and be came a member of the National Assembly in 1880. Here he pursued a consistently radical policy without embracing all his former social istic theories. He is regarded as the founder of state socialism. He believed that individual liberty could only be had under a strong cen tral government, but that industry should be co operative. Consult Fiaux, Blanc' (in (Portraits politiques contemporains,) Vol. Paris 1883), and Jonannet, A., (Les theories sociales de L. Blanc' (Dijon 1902).