Born in 1821 – Fyodor Dostoevsky, Russian novelist.

Shigalyov, the social theorist of Dostoevsky’s 1872 novel Demons:

“Having devoted my energy to studying the question of the social organization of the future society which is to replace the present one, I have come to the conclusion that all creators of social systems from ancient times to our year 187- have been dreamers, tale-tellers, fools who contradicted themselves and understood precisely nothing of natural science or of that strange animal known as man. Plato, Rousseau, Fourier…all this is fit for sparrows, but not for human society. But since the future social form is necessary precicely now, when we are all going to act, so as to stop any further thinking about it, I am suggesting my own system of world organization….(but) I got entangled in my own data, and my conclusion directly contradicts the original idea from which I start. Starting from unlimited freedom, I conclude with unlimited despotism. I will add, however, that apart from my solution of the social formula, there can be no other.”