FERNAND PELLOUTIER, (1867-1901)

Biography

 During his short but brilliant life Fernand Pelloutier became one of the most influential figures in French working-class history. He began life as a journalist, and joined the Marxist Parti Ouvrier Francais, but became disgusted with the dogmatism of the leaders and turned to anarchism. In 1985 he became the secretary of the Federation des Bourses de Travail, the equivalent of local trades councils in English-speaking countries, and there developed his anarcho-syndicalist idea that the trades union or syndicate could become at the same time a means of carrying on the struggle for social change and a model for the free communist world of the future.

"We are men without God, without Masters & Fatherland, irreconcilable enemies of any despotism, moral or collective, i.e. laws & dictatorships (including that of the proletariat), & impassioned lovers of the culture of oneself ".

— Fernand Pelloutier

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A leading organizer & theoretician of the French labour movement who deeply influenced the philosophy & methods of anarcho-syndicalist labour unionism.

— Encyclopedia Britannica

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Pelloutier, in the words of Pierre Monatte, can be 'justly regarded as the father of revolutionary syndicalism'. He rejected parliamentary reformism & anarchist revolutionary violence, favoring instead the General Strike.

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• http://membres.lycos.fr/anarchives/site/syndic/pelloutier.htm

• http://www.maitron.org/maitron/Dico/synd3.htm

• http://www.galeon.com/ateneosant/Ateneo/Biografias/Pelloutier.html

• http://membres.lycos.fr/artnono/french/anarchie/biblio/pelloutier.html

• http://increvablesanarchistes.org/articles/avan1914/pelloutier_lettreouv.htm

• http://www.geocities.com/syndikalist2002/pell.htm

Page created Oct 2001; updated March 2002; March 2003

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