Albert Chavannes
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Albert Chavannes (February 23, 1836 – May 3, 1903) was a Swiss-born American
author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...
, philosopher, and sociologist, active primarily in the late 19th century. He is best known for his two utopian novels, ''The Future Commonwealth'' and ''In Brighter Climes'', which discuss a fictional futuristic society, "Socioland," where the economy is governed by
socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...
ideals rather than
capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...
, and where morality is based on social scientific experimentation, rather than traditional religion.Francine Cary, "Albert Chavannes and the Future Commonwealth: The Utopian Novelist As Social Critic," East Tennessee Historical Society ''Publications'', Vol. 48 (1976), pp. 71-84. Chavannes was also one of the earliest social theorists to extensively discuss
exchange theory Social exchange theory is a sociological and psychological theory that studies the social behavior in the interaction of two parties that implement a cost-benefit analysis to determine risks and benefits. The theory also involves economic relatio ...
, and his ideas on "magnetism" (magnetation) influenced writers such as J. William Lloyd and Ida C. Craddock.


Life

Chavannes was born in
Lausanne, Switzerland Lausanne ( , , , ) ; it, Losanna; rm, Losanna. is the capital and largest city of the Swiss French speaking canton of Vaud. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway between the Jura Mountains and the Alps, and fac ...
, one of six children of the Reverend Adrian Chavannes and his wife, Anna Francillon. In 1848, the Chavanneses migrated to East Tennessee, which had been advertised as having ample farmland and a climate similar to that of Switzerland. The family initially settled in
Wartburg, Tennessee Wartburg is a city in Morgan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 918 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County. History In 1805, the Cherokee ceded what is now Morgan County to the United States by signing the Thi ...
, atop the Cumberland Plateau, but finding the land unsuitable for farming, soon afterward moved to northern Knox County. By 1855, the Chavanneses had been joined by several other French-speaking Swiss families, comprising one of the county's largest immigrant groups. Albert Chavannes married fellow French Swiss immigrant Cecile Bolli in 1857, and the two settled down to a life of dairy farming. One of Chavannes' earliest writings was an article entitled, "How Manure Is Made in Switzerland," published in the agricultural journal, ''The Cultivator'', in 1858. This article was inspired by a trip Chavannes had made to his home country the previous year.Albert Chavannes,
How Manure Is Made In Switzerland
" ''The Cultivator'', Vol. 6, No. 3 (March 1858), pp. 78-79.
During the Civil War, Chavannes supported the Confederacy. He was part of the citizens-guard that defended
Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...
from a raid by Union general William P. Sanders in June 1863, and later provided an account of this raid in his book, ''East Tennessee Sketches''.Albert Chavannes, "Saunders' Raid," ''East Tennessee Sketches'' (Knoxville, Tenn.: 1900), pp. 77-88. In 1864, following the occupation of Knoxville by Union forces, Chavannes moved to Berkshire, New York, where he opened a woodworking shop. His experiences in New York would later inspire his novel, ''Lizzie Melton, A Self-Reliant Girl''.Albert Chavannes, ''Lizzie Melton: A Self-Reliant Girl'', The Complete Works of Albert Chavannes, Vol. 2 (Knoxville, Tenn., 1900/1903), pp. ii-iii. In 1870, he moved back to Knox County, where he established a new dairy farm in the Adair Creek area north of Knoxville. Around the age of 40, Chavannes began questioning the religious traditions with which he was raised, his chief inspiration being the
Theory of Evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variatio ...
. Between 1883 and 1885, Chavannes published a journal, ''The Sociologist''. In the late 1880s, Chavannes began to theorize on emotional and sexual exchanges between humans, which he called "magnetism" ( J. William Lloyd, with whom Chavannes had been corresponding, later wrote that he had suggested the term "magnetation" to Chavannes). J. William Lloyd,
The Karezza Method or Magnetation: The Art of Connubial Love
' (1931), p. 5.
In 1888, Chavannes published his theories on magnetism in his book, ''Vital Force and Magnetic Exchange''. By the 1890s, Chavannes was exchanging ideas with socialists
Lester Frank Ward Lester Frank Ward (June 18, 1841 – April 18, 1913) was an American botanist, paleontologist, and sociologist. He served as the first president of the American Sociological Association. In service of democratic development, polymath Lester W ...
and
Edward Bellamy Edward Bellamy (March 26, 1850 – May 22, 1898) was an American author, journalist, and political activist most famous for his utopian novel ''Looking Backward''. Bellamy's vision of a harmonious future world inspired the formation of numerou ...
. In 1892, Chavannes published his first Socioland novel, ''The Future Commonwealth''. That year, Chavannes ran for the state legislature on the
Populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term develop ...
ticket, but lost badly.Cecile Chavannes, "Canvassing the District," ''East Tennessee Sketches'' (Knoxville, Tenn.: 1900), p. 1. His wife, Cecile, wrote an account of their canvassing trip across rural East Tennessee that was included in their book, ''East Tennessee Sketches''. Chavannes wrote a non-fiction follow-up to ''The Future Commonwealth'' in 1893 entitled, ''The Concentration of Wealth'', and published his second Socioland novel, ''In Brighter Climes'', in 1895. He published several more works on magnetism in the late 1890s. Chavannes died in 1903, and is buried in the Spring Place Presbyterian Church Cemetery in northeast Knoxville.


Family

Albert Chavannes was related to several prominent Knoxville businessmen, whose careers stand somewhat in contrast to his socialist ideals. His sister, Emma, was married to Edward J. Sanford, one of the city's leading financiers. The Sanford children included Supreme Court justice
Edward Terry Sanford Edward Terry Sanford (July 23, 1865 – March 8, 1930) was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1923 until his death in 1930. Prior to his nomination to the high court, Sanford served as a ...
and iron manufacturer Hugh Sanford. In 1894, Chavannes' son, Adrian Leon Chavannes (1871–1938), founded the Chavannes Lumber Company, which operated a large mill in North Knoxville until the 1950s. Albert Chavannes' grandson, Edward Chavannes, served as Mayor of Knoxville from 1946 to 1947.


Works


Socioland

Chavannes' two novels, ''The Future Commonwealth'' and ''In Brighter Climes'', discuss a fictional country known as "Socioland." Socioland, according to Chavannes, was located in central Africa, about 300 miles inland along the shores of the fictional Lake Norlay.Albert Chavannes,
In Brighter Climes, or Life in Socioland: A Realistic Novel
' (Chavannes and Company, 1895).
The new country had been formed circa 1900 by American colonists disenchanted with the ills of American society and the lack of progress in fixing the ills, in spite of the nation's rapidly growing wealth. Though both books are set in the 1950s, Chavannes makes virtually no speculations regarding technological innovations. In ''The Future Commonwealth'', Socioland is described as a country where major industries and modes of transportation are publicly owned, but controlled by popularly elected directors rather than the central government. Individuals may earn profits, though the accumulation of interest is barred. Land is publicly owned, but leases tantamount to ownership can be granted.Albert Chavannes,
The Future Commonwealth, or What Samuel Balcom Saw in Socioland
' (New York: The Nationalist Publishing Company, 1892).
All children receive the same educational opportunities, and are required to serve a 6-year apprenticeship. The government provides health care, utilities, bread, and basic services such as laundry. Because work is more evenly divided, individuals only work for a few hours per day. ''In Brighter Climes'' follows Charles Morrill and his wife Mary, who were inspired by Chavannes' ''The Future Commonwealth'' to migrate to Socioland. When the Morrills arrive, they find that the Sociolanders are concerned that elements of capitalism are creeping into their economy, and eventually decide to implement a communist-style system. Laws regarding marriage are lax, and divorce is much easier to obtain for both males and females. Artists and writers receive no money for their work, with Sociolanders likening selling one's genius to prostitution. In his introduction to the book, Chavannes states that Mary's letters were written by an "unnamed female," though he wrote the remainder of the book.


Magnetism

Chavannes used the term "vital force" to describe the intellectual, emotional and sexual energy stored within the body.Albert Chavannes, ''Vital Force, Magnetic Exchange and Magnetism'', The Complete Works of Albert Chavannes, Vol. 1 (Knoxville, Tenn.: 1897/1903). Intellectual vital force, he believed, is stored in the brain, emotional vital force is stored behind the heart, and sexual vital force is stored in the genitalia. Memory is the result of modifications to a person's vital force. "Magnetism," according to Chavannes, is the exchange of vital force between two individuals. Intellectual magnetism involves the exchange of thoughts, emotional magnetism involves the exchange of sympathy and affection, and sexual magnetism is exchanged through ejaculation during sexual intercourse. Chavannes believed that individuals require magnetic equilibrium, and suggested that misbehavior and general unpleasantness result from too much or too little stored vital force. Chavannes argued that the exchange of magnetism through ejaculation ruined an individual's equilibrium. He suggested that individuals therefore practice
sexual continence ''Coitus reservatus'' (''coitus'', "sexual intercourse, union" and ''reservatus'', "reserved, saved"), also known as sexual continence, is a form of sexual intercourse in which the man does not attempt to ejaculate within his partner, but instead ...
. Chavannes' ideas on sexual magnetism would later provide inspiration for the Karezza method originated by Dr. Alice Bunker Stockham and further developed by J William Lloyd.


Other works

''East Tennessee Sketches'' is a collection of six articles, two of which ("Canvassing the District" and "Adair Creek Notes") are written by Chavannes' wife, Cecile. "Canvassing the District" describes the Chavanneses' 1892 canvass. "Adair Creek Notes" describes how cheese was made on the Chavannes farm. "Saunders' Raid" is an eyewitness account of General William Sanders's attack on Knoxville in June 1863. "Coming Home to Knoxville" details the Chavannes' trek from the Virginia coast back to Knoxville following a trip to Switzerland in 1897. "An Old Reprobate," is the story of a man who became an alcoholic following the deaths of his two sons from smallpox. "A War Episode" describes the confiscation of Chavannes' prized cane by a Union officer in 1864.Albert Chavannes and Cecile Chavannes,
East Tennessee Sketches
' (1900). Archive.org. Retrieved: 14 November 2011.
Chavannes considered his 1900 work, ''Lizzie Melton, A Self-Reliant Girl'', to be his only full-fledged novel. The book is essentially a critique of Victorian morals regarding women, with the title character being ostracized by the community after becoming pregnant out of wedlock. The novel is set in
Richland, New York Richland is a town in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 5,718 at the 2010 census. The Town of Richland is in the northeastern part of Oswego County. History The town was first settled ''circa'' 1801. The Town of Rich ...
, with characters and scenes inspired by Chavannes' experiences in the region following the Civil War.


Bibliography


Journals

*''The Sociologist'', 1881–1883 *''The Modern Philosopher'', 1896–1898


Pamphlets

*''The Law of Happiness'' *''The Law of Individual Control'' *''The Law of Exchange'' *''The Law of Environment'' *''Heredity, Cross-Breeding, Pre-Natal Influences''


Books

*''Vital Force and Magnetic Exchange'' (1888) *''The Future Commonwealth, Or, What Samuel Balcom Saw in Socioland'' (1892) *''The Concentration of Wealth: A Study as to Its Causes, Results and Remedies'' (1893) *''In Brighter Climes, Or, Life in Socioland: A Realistic Novel'' (1895) *''Vital Force, Magnetic Exchange and Magnetation'' (1897) *''Magnetism and Its Relation to Health and Character'' (1898) *''The Nature of the Mind, and Its Relation to Magnetism; Also an Inquiry Whether Individuality Can Persist After Death'' (1898) *''The Law of Conduct, As Based Upon a Correct Knowledge of the Nature of the Mind'' (1899) *''East Tennessee Sketches'' (1900) (coauthored with Cecile Chavannes) *''Lizzie Melton, A Self-Reliant Girl'' (1900) *''Studies In Sociology, In Four Parts'' (1901) *''Mental Science, As a Guide to Health, Happiness and Business Success'' (1902)


References


External links

*
The Future Commonwealth, Or What Samuel Balcom Saw in Socioland
' – Google Books *
The Concentration of Wealth, A Study As to Its Causes, Results and Remedies
' – Google Books *
In Brighter Climes, or Life in Socioland
' – Google Books *
East Tennessee Sketches
' – Archive.org *
Vital Force, Magnetic Exchange and Magnetation
– hathitrust.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Chavannes, Albert 1836 births 1903 deaths American anti-capitalists 19th-century American philosophers American socialists American sociologists People from Knoxville, Tennessee People from Lausanne Swiss anti-capitalists Swiss emigrants to the United States Swiss socialists Tennessee Populists Utopian socialists Writers from Tennessee