Born into an aristocratic family in Paris, Saint-Simon joined the army in 1777 and fought in North America after the French army in support of the North American War of Independence, where he was captured by the British before returning to France after the war. After the outbreak of the French Revolution, the titles of earl and nobles were publicly abandoned. After the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, he devoted himself to academic research and published many important works.
Saint-Simon believed that the process of development of social history was not a connection of accidental events, but proceeded according to the law as the whole process of the development of the universe, as a continuous, ascending, progressive process. He further pointed out that the replacement of feudalism by capitalism is a historical progress, and at the same time, capitalism will eventually be replaced by a new system, which is the "industrial system". Under the "industrial system," the production of private enterprises must be supervised by the state, uniformly arranged, and carried out according to plan.
Under this system, everyone works and there is no unemployment. He also believed that under the new system, capitalists who "worked with their brains" should be allowed to make profits and be fed by the water of people who "worked by hand". During this time, because of the bankruptcy of his family, he fell into poverty for a time. His thoughts were not understood, and on March 9, 1823, he shot himself, but did not succeed, only to injure one eye. Died in 1825. Saint-Simon's important works include Introduction to the Human Sciences, On the Industrial System, and New Christianity.