Robert Owen Quotes

• Eight hours daily labour is enough for any human being, and under proper arrangements sufficient to afford an ample supply of food, raiment and shelter, or the necessaries and comforts of life, and for the remainder of his time, every person is entitled to education, recreation and sleep.

  Robert Owen

  Sleep, Eight, Comfort

  "Foundation Axioms" of the Society for Promoting National Regeneration, 1833.

  155 Copy quote

• To train and educate the rising generation will at all times be the first object of society, to which every other will be subordinate.

  Robert Owen

  Generations, Rising, Firsts

  "The Social System - Constitution, Laws, and Regulations of a Community". Book by Robert Owen, 1826.

  140 Copy quote

• The lowest stage of humanity is experienced when the individual must labour for a small pittance of wages from others.

  Robert Owen

  Humanity, Wages, Individual

  Robert Owen (1841). “A development of the principles and plans on which to establish self-supporting home colonies: as a most secure and profitable investment for capital, and an effectual means permanently to remove the causes of ignorance, poverty, and crime”, p.7

  144 Copy quote

• Women will be no longer made the slaves of, or dependent upon men ... They will be equal in education, rights, privileges and personal liberty.

  Robert Owen

  Women, Equality, Rights

  "The Book of the New Moral World, Vol. 6". Book by Robert Owen, 1836-1844.

  161 Copy quote

• There is but one mode by which man can possess in perpetuity all the happiness which his nature is capable of enjoying, - that is by the union and co-operation of all for the benefit of each.

  Robert Owen

  Happiness, Happy, Men

  "The Social System - Constitution, Laws, and Regulations of a Community". Book by Robert Owen, 1826.

  138 Copy quote

• Is it not the interest of the human race, that every one should be so taught and placed, that he would find his highest enjoyment to arise from the continued practice of doing all in his power to promote the well-being, and happiness, of every man, woman, and child, without regard to their class, sect, party, country or colour

  Robert Owen

  Happiness, Country, Children

  Robert Owen (1841). “A development of the principles and plans on which to establish self-supporting home colonies: as a most secure and profitable investment for capital, and an effectual means permanently to remove the causes of ignorance, poverty, and crime”, p.7

  139 Copy quote

• Society may be formed so as to exist without crime, without poverty, with health greatly improved, with little, if any misery, and with intelligence and happiness increased a hundredfold; and no obstacle whatsoever intervenes at this moment except ignorance to prevent such a state of society from becoming universal.

  Robert Owen

  Health, Ignorance, Adversity

  Robert Owen (1857). “The Life of Robert Owen Written by Himself: With Selections from His Writings and Correspondence”, p.349

  71 Copy quote

• It is therefore, the interest of all, that every one, from birth, should be well educated, physically and mentally, that society may be improved in its character, - that everyone should be beneficially employed, physically and mentally, that the greatest amount of wealth may be created, and knowledge attained, - that everyone should be placed in the midst of those external circumstances that will produce the greatest number of pleasurable sensations, through the longest life, that man may be made truly intelligent, moral and happy, and be thus prepared to enter upon the coming Millennium.

  Robert Owen

  Character, Men, Intelligent

  "A Development of the Principles & Plans on which to establish self-supporting Home Colonies". Book by Robert Owen, 1841.

  91 Copy quote

• To preserve permanent good health, the state of mind must be taken into consideration.

  Robert Owen

  Taken, Health, Mind

  Robert Owen (1845). “The Book of the New Moral World: Containing the Rational System of Society, Founded on Demonstrable Facts, Developing the Constitution and Laws of Human Nature and of Society”, p.82

  65 Copy quote

• I was forced, through seeing the error of their foundation, to abandon all belief in every religion which had been taught to man. But my religious feelings were immediately replaced by the spirit of universal charity — not for a sect, or a party, or for a country or a colour — but for the human race, and with a real and ardent desire to do good.

  Robert Owen

  Country, Religious, Real

  Robert Owen (1857). “The Life of Robert Owen Written by Himself: With Selections from His Writings and Correspondence”, p.16

  92 Copy quote

• Of course quality is important but is it not the quality of an individual's originality that is most important?

  Robert Owen

  Important, Quality, Originality

  76 Copy quote

• My life was not useless; I gave important truths to the world, and it was only for want of understanding that they were disregarded. I have been ahead of my time.

  Robert Owen

  Understanding, Important, Useless

  Deathbed statement in November 1858. "A History of British Socialism". Book by Max Beer, Volume 2, 2001.

  59 Copy quote

• Since the introduction of inanimate mechanism into British manufactories, man, with few exceptions, has been treated as a secondary and inferior machine; and far more attention has been given to perfect the raw materials of wood and metals than those of body and mind.

  Robert Owen

  Men, Perfect, Mind

  Robert Owen (1837). “Essays on the Formation of the Human Character”, p.29

  42 Copy quote

• The working classes may be injuriously degraded and oppressed in three ways:
  1st - When they are neglected in infancy
  
  2nd - When they are overworked by their employer, and are thus rendered incompetent from ignorance to make a good use of high wages when they can procure them.
  
  3rd - When they are paid low wages for their labour.

  Robert Owen

  Ignorance, Class, Use

  "Two Memorials on Behalf of the Working Classes". Book by Robert Owen, 1818.

  48 Copy quote

• Man is the creature of circumstances.

  Robert Owen

  Men, Circumstances, Creatures

  Robert Owen, William Legg (1839). “Report of the Discussion: Between Robert Owen, Esq., and the Rev. Wm. Legg, B.A., which Took Place in the Town Hall, Reading, March 5 & 6, 1839, on Mr. Owen's New Views of Society”, p.34

  36 Copy quote

• Finding that no religion was based upon facts, but that all of them were in opposition to facts, and could not therefore be true, I began to reflect upon what must be the condition of mankind, trained from infancy to believe in these errors, and to make them the rule of their conduct.

  Robert Owen

  Believe, Errors, Religion

  "Debate on the Evidences of Christianity".

  55 Copy quote

• Never argue, repeat your assertion.

  Robert Owen

  Inspirational, Life, Motivational

  20 Copy quote

• It is particularly recommended, as a means of uniting the inhabitants of the village into one family, that while each faithfully adheres to the principles which he most approves, at the same time all shall think charitably of their neighbours respecting their religious opinions, and not presumptuously suppose that theirs alone are right.

  Robert Owen

  Religious, Mean, Thinking

  Robert Owen (1854). “Part 5. of the New Existence of Man Upon the Earth in Winch is Continued the Outline of Mr. Owen's Life...[etc]”, p.11

  25 Copy quote

• My reason taught me that I could not have made one of my own qualities - they were forced upon me by Nature; that my language, religion, and habits were forced upon me by Society; and that I was entirely the child of Nature and Society; that Nature gave the qualities and Society directed them. Thus was I forced, through seeing the error of their foundation, to abandon all belief in every religion which had been taught by man.

  Robert Owen

  Children, Men, Errors

  Robert Owen (1857). “The Life of Robert Owen Written by Himself: With Selections from His Writings and Correspondence”, p.16

  27 Copy quote

• Courts of law, and all the paraphernalia and folly of law cannot be found in a rational state of society.

  Robert Owen

  Law, Ears, States

  22 Copy quote

• The advantage of pure, and the disadvantage of impure air are experienced each time we breathe, and all who understand the causes of disease know that an impure atmosphere is most unfavourable to the enjoyment of health, and an efficient cause to shorten human existence within the natural life of man. It is therefore most desirable that decisive measures should be devised and generally adopted to ensure to all a pure atmosphere, in which to live during their lives.

  Robert Owen

  Men, Air, Atmosphere

  "The Book of the New Moral World, Vol. 3". Book by Robert Owen, 1836-1844.

  27 Copy quote

• God and the Doctor we alike adore But only when in danger, not before; The danger o'er, both are alike requited, God is forgotten, and the Doctor slighted.

  Robert Owen

  God, Doctors, Medical

  Epigram Cf. 256:27

  23 Copy quote

• It is confidently expected that the period is at hand, when man, through ignorance, shall not much longer inflict unnecessary misery on man; because the mass of mankind will become enlightened, and will clearly discern that by so acting they will inevitably create misery to themselves.

  Robert Owen

  Ignorance, Men, Hands

  Robert Owen (1837). “First American from the third London edition”, p.76

  23 Copy quote

• There are good hearts to serve men in palaces as in cottages.

  Robert Owen

  Heart, Men, Cottages

  20 Copy quote

• Chastity is sexual intercourse with affection.

  Robert Owen

  Sex, Affection, Chastity

  13 Copy quote

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