The new journal had for its express purpose ``to develop and expand the principles of a philosophy of human nature based on the recognition that the destiny of our race is to exploit and modify external nature to its greatest advantage,'' and it believed that this could best be done by ``incessantly extending association, one of the most powerful means at its command.''14.6 In order to attract the general public the programmatic articles were interspersed with others on technological or statistical subjects, which were often written by outsiders. But most of the journal was written by the little group of disciples. There can also be little doubt that, even during the year when the Producteur was the center of their activities, Enfantin had already the largest share in the development of the doctrines of the school, although for some time his position was equaled or even overshadowed by the powerful personality of another new recruit, Saint-Amand Bazard.14.7 Slightly older than Rodrigues or Enfantin, and, as a former member of the French Carbonari movement, an experienced revolutionary, he joined the collaborators of the Producteur, who already had attracted some old Babouvists and Carbonaris. But although these, and Bazard in particular, played an important part in leading the Saint-Simonians toward more radical views, it is probable that the latter's doctrinal contributions are usually overrated and that his role is more appropriately described by a contemporary who said that ``M. Enfantin found the ideas, M. Bazard formulated them.''14.8Bazard's articles in the Producteur, apart from an even fiercer hatred of the liberty of conscience14.9 than had been shown by Saint-Simon or even Comte, add little that is new. The same is true of most of the other contributors except Enfantin and, of course, Comte, although the elaboration of the Saint-Simonian doctrine of the social function of art by Léon Halévy must not be overlooked. He sees the time approaching when the ``art of moving the masses'' will be so perfectly developed that the painter, the musician, and the poet ``will possess the power to please and to move with the same certainty as the mathematician solves a geometrical problem or the chemist analyzes some substance. Then only will the moral side of society be firmly established.''14.10 The word propaganda was not yet used in this connection, but the art of the modern ministries of propaganda would have been fully appreciated and these institutions were even foreseen by the Saint-Simonians.
Important developments occur in the economic articles which Enfantin contributed to the Producteur. The growth of nearly all the new elements of the social doctrine of the Saint-Simonians, which we shall meet presently in their final form in the celebrated Exposition, can be traced in these articles. The general interest in the problems of industrial organization, the enthusiasm for the new growth of joint-stock companies, the doctrine of general association, the increasing doubts about the usefulness of private property and of interest, the plans for the direction of all economic activity by the banks--all these ideas were gradually worked out and were more and more strongly emphasized. We must here be content to quote two sentences particularly characteristic of his approach to the problems. One ridicules the idea that ``a human society could exist without an intelligence which directs it.''14.11 The other describes the concepts which have so far formed the preoccupation of political economy, namely ``value, price, and production, which do not contain any constructive idea for the composition or organization of society,'' as ``irrelevant details.''14.12