Next session of the seminar “Businesses, Responsibilities, Civilisations”
The Business Theory Chair is pleased to invite you
to its next seminar session.
« Businesses, Responsabilities Civilisations »
9 April 2026 from 4pm to 6pm,
seminar organised in partnership with the Bauhaus Chair of Transitions.
Saint-Simon, philosopher of industrial society
with Pierre Musso
Seminar organised in partnership with the Bauhaus Chair of Transitions.
Pierre Musso will present the life and work of philosopher Henri Saint-Simon (1760–1825), the founder of founders, with multiple legacies, from Saint-Simonism to socialism, from positivism to industrialism. He is the “father” of Saint-Simonism, but he is also considered one of the founding fathers of socialism (described as a “utopian socialist”), liberalism, positivism, industrialism, technocratic or planning doctrines, etc. How can we explain such enduring influence to this day? P. Musso will highlight how Saint-Simon reflected on the science and industry of his time, and how he inspired a movement of thought and a political movement known as “industrialism”. How did he mobilise the creative and scientific logic of industry? How is this logic reflected in the trends that his work gave rise to, particularly among engineers and industrialists?
Pierre MUSSO is an honorary professor at the Universities of Rennes II and Telecom Paris. He is the author of numerous works on Saint-Simon and Saint-Simonism, network philosophy, industry and the industrial imagination. His most recent publications are Saint-Simon, philosophe de la société industrielle (Saint-Simon, Philosopher of Industrial Society) (2025), Le Temps de l’Etat-Entreprise (The Age of the State-Enterprise) (2019) and La religion industrielle (Industrial Religion) (2017), published by Fayard.