Oscar Wilde's last major work of critical prose, “The Soul of Man under Socialism,” was likely composed late in 1890, after the dialogue “The True Function and Value of Criticism” (later retitled “The Critic as Artist”) and before the 1891 Preface to
The Picture of Dorian Gray. The essay was first published in the
Fortnightly Reviewin February 1891, although it was not collected in Wilde's 1891 volume of critical prose,
Intentions. The subsequent publishing history of “The Soul of Man under Socialism” is complex. With the truncated title
The Soul of Man, it was published as a book on 30 May 1895, five days after Wilde's sentencing to two years' imprisonment with hard labour. Issued by Wilde family friend Arthur L. Humphreys, manager of Hatchards London bookshop,
The Soul2251 words
Citation: Mackie, Gregory. "The Soul of Man under Socialism". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 January 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7785, accessed 23 November 2024.]
