Wilde’s Inimitable Approach to Individualism through Art and Christianity
Daniel Cruz

How does Oscar Wilde’s article on socialism differ from those of other authors? How do these different subjects that Wilde covers help to set up a socialist society?

While other authors describe Christianity’s role as imprisoning and limiting, Wilde opposes this and believes Individualism can be achieved through Christianity. He also introduces a new subject for thought, which is art, and explains how its promotion of individual freedom can create a working Socialist society.

Core 80-B: Social Justice & Community
Laura Martin
5 December 2010 In Oscar Wilde’s lengthy essay, “The Soul of Man under Socialism,” Wilde talks about many interesting subjects including art, religion, individualism, machines, despots, and of course, Socialism. Because Wilde is not a figurehead to socialists or Marxists, one might ask how Wilde’s article differs from the articles of other prominent opponents of private property. Wilde is not well-known for his interest in Socialism, as this is his only article that shows his interest in it. He is better known as a witty and talented author, and a man fascinated by both Christianity and Catholicism at intervals in his life. With these interests in mind, Wilde’s article is unique in the way that it credits Christianity in developing men’s personality instead of limiting its capacity. Wilde also introduces the topic of art, which is hardly the primary focus of Socialist essays, to demonstrate how it promotes individual freedom, which helps create the ideal socialist community. One of the most noticeable aspects in Wilde’s essay is the acceptance of Christianity to create a flawless society. In contrast, Althusser claims that Christianity has only prevented the creation of a model society. Althusser argues in his paper, “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses” (200), that most of society – especially those who identify with religion – “[are] always already a subject even before he is born.” In other words, Althusser insists that religion does not make one free to develop their own talent and potentials, but, instead, limits what one can do through imaginary rules. Wilde challenges this notion, and similar notions, by focusing on Christ’s intentions for humanity instead of focusing on the criticized modern traditions. Christ’s teachings to the world, according to Wilde, was not done with the intention of them becoming subjects, but rather to find time to realize humanity’s own potential. Following a statement as to why men should not be judged by their possessions and private property, Wilde reflects on some of Jesus’ teachings: ”You have a wonderful personality. Develop it … Don’t imagine that your perfection lies in accumulating or possessing external things” (7). He later states, “[Jesus] tells [people] to be themselves, and not to be always worrying about other things” (8). This is done to point out Jesus’ early teachings are parallel to the concepts of Socialsim doing away with private property. Wilde introduces Christ into his article almost as proof as to why religion not only brings out the Individualism in man, but almost called out for the creation of a society similar to those proposed under Socialism.
Wilde further challenges Althusser when he labels the society that Althusser describes as perfect, as it is not under the influence of Christianity, as having limited Individuality themselves through Wilde’s musings on private property. Wilde clearly states that people who have developed their own unique individuality are rare in society, passing off a few names throughout the essay such as Charles Darwin, Washington Irving, and Gustave Flaubert. These men have had advantages through the amount of money they possess, and most people feel the need to attain more possessions rather than develop their personality because of their success. To explain why some people cannot attain the same