In one of his letters to Iluiron be says, "I have positively failed, after fourteen years' repeated application, to solve the problem of Passional Diffraction." This, in the language of Fourier, is the principle of prophetic inspiration. It is treated by him as au abstract question, but as the object of this article is to explain some of the opinions of Fourier from his own point of view, we may give it one short paragraph of explanation.
If we compare the light of Revelation from tho Spiritual Sun of the universe on the eye of the mind, with the light of the natural sun on the eye of the body, we shall have the exact analogy between the two, in harmony with the language of Fourier. There are three modes of action in the transmission of natural light : Refraction, Reflection, and Diffraction. In the sphere of Revelation, or the transmission of spiritual light to the mind of man, Nature ie the great fact of undoubted divine origin, which reflects to the eye of the inquiring mind the law of God, which it reveals in its stupendous harmony. The mind of man itself which is of divine origin also, is the power which refracts or divides the rays of mental light into their magic beauty of variety and colour. Diffraction is a mixed mode of action between refraction and reflection ; and prophetic inspiration is a mixed mode of mental revelation, written in words similar to human verbalism, and reflecting divine wisdom just like Nature, but partici pating in the characteristic peculiarities of both; inasmuch, as it is partly reflective without explanation, like Nature; and partly refractive and explanatory, like the word of man. It is that mental or "passional diffraction," which Fourier could not find until ho came to look for it in sacred prophecy, which he did before ho published his New Industrial World' in 1829.
In April 1821, Fourier, having prepared his manuscript for the press, went to reside at Besancon to superintend the printing of his work, which was distributed in nine volumes under the following heads: 1. The Abstract Principles of Passional Attraction, and their Partial Application to Industrial Association.' 2. Familiar Synthesis of the Principles of Attraction, and their Equilibrium in Practice.' 3. The Analysis of Man's Physical, Moral, and Mental Nature, indi vidually and collectively, with regard to Individual Variety and Universal Unity.' 4. ' Methodical Synthesis, and Transcendental Theory.' 5. Commercial Duplicity, and Ruinous Competition.' 6. The False Development of Human Nature, and a regular Analysis and Synthesis of False Development in Universal Nature as an excep tion to Universal Harmony.' 7. Universal Analogy and Illustrations
of Cosmogony.' 8. The Scientific Theory of the Immortality of the Soul.' 9. Dictionary of Contents, References, &c. &c. of the whole Work.' Each of these volumes contains between five and six hundred closely printed large octavo pages. The first and second only, with a few extracts from the others, were printed and published in 1822, under the title of A. Treatise on Domestic and Agricultural Association a second edition with another title was published in 1841 ; two volumes more were published in 1850 under the title of Passions of the Human Soul.' The other volumes, containing some of the more transcendental speculative part of the theory, still remain in manu script The title of the whole work, we are informed by Fourier, should be 'Theory of Universal Unity.' Fourier professes to teach, in the volumes published by himself, the science of associative unity, by which the produce of social industry may be increased from three to sevenfold, and the economy of general and individual expenditure improved tenfold; so that the practical advantages of association to all classes of society would be as thirty to one, and more in many instances, compared with the present state of thioge. To master his whole theory of universal science would, we are told, require more time and mental application than the study of all the tranehes of mathematics.
In November 1822, Fourier's two large volumes were completed, and he went to Paris to have them advertised, reviewed, and sold if possible. Here he was disappointed. Few of the reviewers noticed his work, and those who mentioned it said little more than that it was a voluminous and abstruse production. After waiting twelve mouths to have his book reviewed, without obtaining any notice from the press beyond the mere mention of "voluminous abstruseness," Fourier pub fished a summary of some one hundred and fifty pages, in the hope of obtaining a more favourable and detailed review. Here again ho was disappointed. He sent his work to many of the leading statesmen of the time, but those who were polite enough to acknowledge the present, alleged their multifarious occupations as a reason fur not having time to road the book. Unable to continue the expensive residence of Paris, Fourier returned to Lyon iu the month of March 1825, where his necessities compelled him to accept the office of cashier in a commercial house, at a salary of 1200f. a year. In the meantime his hook had been read by some inquiring minds in various parts of the country, and a few influential persons became professed disciples.