Owen had founded no school, unless of course we consider that the co-operators are deserving of the title. There were, however, a few disciples who attempted to apply his theories. One of these was William Thompson, whose writings, forgotten for many years, have recently come in for a good deal of extravagant praise. His principal work, _An Inquiry into the Principles of the Distribution of Wealth_, was published in 1824. As compared with Owen he reveals a greater depth of thought and shows a more thorough acquaintance with economic science, and he ought perhaps to be given premier place as the founder of socialism. But, as we have pointed out in the Preface, we cannot readjust the judgment of history, and we are bound to accept the names which tradition has made sacred. And if a person’s rank in history is to be measured by his influence rather than his talent, then Thompson’s influence was _nil_, for at the time his work seems to have passed almost unnoticed. We will only remark that Thompson’s grasp of the idea that labour does not enjoy all it produces is much firmer than Owen’s. This meant opening the way for a discussion of surplus value and unproductive labour, of which more anon. He agrees with Owen in thinking that expropriation would not remedy the evil, and he also would rather build up a new form of enterprise in which the worker would be able to retain for himself all the produce of his labour. This was precisely the co-operative ideal.[526] II: CHARLES FOURIER Owen’s practical influence has been much greater than Fourier’s, for most of the important socialistic movements of the last century can easily be traced back to Owen. But Fourier’s intellectual work, when taken as a whole, though more Utopian and less restrained in character than Owen’s, has a considerably wider outlook, and combines the keenest appreciation of the evils of civilisation with an almost uncanny power of divining the future.[527]