COUX, CHARLES DE

19th-century precursor of social Catholicism and member of the circle of Félicité de lamennais; b. Paris, 1787; d. Guerande, Jan. 16, 1864. His father had emigrated to America in 1790 but returned to Paris in 1803. In 1830 Coux became one of the editors of L'Avenir, writing on economic and social questions. He traced the misery of the workers to the industrial system, which he condemned for its exploitation of labor. Reluctant to approve legislative interference with prices or wages, he supported the founding of workers' and masters' associations, anticipating in this the later goals of syndicalism. When L'Avenir was suspended in 1831, Coux and Philippe gerbet organized public conferences for young students, asking Frédéric ozanam, among others, to join this work. Coux's lectures were published as Essais d'économie politique (Paris 1832). In 1834 he accepted a post at the University of louvain, giving a cours d'economie sociale and a cours d'economie politique. Some of his lectures published in the review L'Université catholique reveal an increasingly timid critic compared to the outspoken contributor to L'Avenir. In 1845 Coux left Louvain and became editor of L'Univers until February 1848. After the revolution of that year he gradually withdrew from public affairs. His influence on Ozanam is considered great.

Bibliography: j. b. duroselle, Les Débuts du catholicisme social en France, 1822–1870 (Paris 1951). c. de ladoue, Monseigneur Gerbet, sa vie, ses oeuvres et l'École Menaisienne, 3 v. (Paris 1870).

[e. t. gargan]