Intentions
Oscar Wilde
Intentions
Four essays and dialogues in which Oscar Wilde argues that criticism is creative, art need not copy life, and a work should not be reduced to a moral lesson.
Read our takeThe Soul of Man under Socialism
Oscar Wilde
The Soul of Man under Socialism
by Oscar Wilde
An essay arguing that poverty should be ended by changing property relations, not managed through charity, so each person can develop freely.
- 1891
- Atmospheric
- lyrical
- funny
- voice-driven
About Oscar Wilde
The story, briefly
Spoiler-freeThe Soul of Man under Socialism is Oscar Wilde's political essay about poverty, private property, charity, punishment, and individual freedom. His socialism is anti-authoritarian: he imagines machines doing necessary labor and society removing economic coercion so people can develop their own lives rather than obeying employers, benefactors, or public opinion.
The story, in more detail
The essay first appeared in The Fortnightly Review in 1891. Wilde attacks charity because it eases visible suffering without changing the system that produces poverty and because it gives the donor power over the recipient.
His use of 'individualism' can confuse modern readers. He does not mean competitive self-interest. He means a condition in which no person is forced into a role by property, hunger, government, or the moral demands of a crowd.
The argument
The first movement argues that private property creates poverty and that charity treats symptoms while preserving causes.
The second connects economic freedom to art, rejects authoritarian government, and argues that punishment deforms both the punished person and the society that inflicts it.
Why we recommend it
Why it matters
It introduces the political argument behind Wilde's attacks on charity, respectability, and punishment.
Where it fits
Read it before De Profundis and The Ballad of Reading Gaol, where institutions are no longer abstract.
What this book explores
Timeline
1891
The essay first appeared in The Fortnightly Review in February 1891 and was later issued separately and in collections.
Modern editions
Editors continue to publish the work alone and in collections; introductions and notes explain the relevant performance or textual history.
Book editions
Hardcover
- Hardcover
- The Fortnightly Review
- 1891
Reader reviews
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The Ballad of Reading Gaol
Oscar Wilde
The Ballad of Reading Gaol
A long poem about a prisoner's execution and the institution that makes every person inside share the waiting, fear, shame, and isolation.
Read our takeThe Soul of Man under Socialism: frequently asked questions
What is The Soul of Man under Socialism by Oscar Wilde about?
The Soul of Man under Socialism is Oscar Wilde's political essay about poverty, private property, charity, punishment, and individual freedom. His socialism is anti-authoritarian: he imagines machines doing necessary labor and society removing economic coercion so people can develop their own lives rather than obeying employers, benefactors, or public opinion.
When was The Soul of Man under Socialism published?
The essay first appeared in The Fortnightly Review in February 1891 and was later issued separately and in collections.
Should I read The Soul of Man under Socialism first?
Usually not. Start with The Importance of Being Earnest for comedy, The Picture of Dorian Gray for fiction, or The Happy Prince and Other Tales for short stories, then return to The Soul of Man under Socialism.