Briefly Define and describe the impact of utopian socialism on first Essay

Briefly Define and describe the impact of utopian socialism on first wave feminism - Essay Example Utopian socialism can be defined as one version of socialism that is based on pragmatic principles as opposed to such abstract ones as equal political rights, which its proponents saw as â€Å"selfishly individualist†. The other aspect in which utopian socialists were different was in their perspective on some of the most important intellectual developments of the nineteenth century. For example, the basic tenets of utopian socialism were inconsistent with liberal ideologies. The essential difference between utopian socialism and the prevalent versions of socialism is noted thus by author LeGates, â€Å"that liberalism generated the idea of feminism while the Industrial Revolution, by taking work out of the home and giving middle-class women leisure, created the opportunity to put the idea into action†¦The liberal emphasis on individualism and equality that justified the American and French Revolutions in the late eighteenth century inspired women to apply the language of ‘the rights of man’ to themselves† (LeGates, p.154). When Karl Marx produced his historical analyses on political economies, the idea of socialism created excitement among the intellectuals of the day. A small section of them expected too much from the fledgling politico-economic alternative proposed by Marx. Nevertheless, it did have a significant effect on the first wave feminist movement, not least because of the underlying similarities between them. For instance, utopian socialism inspires the oppressed masses to struggle and undergo sacrifices in order to achieve a better standard of living for themselves, which is also adopted into the agenda by first wave feminists. Utopian socialism strives to give a lucid interpretation of socialism and also attempted to demonstrate how socialist principles could be implemented without excluding or exploiting any section of the