This book is the first comprehensively researched study of the life and thought of Irish-born William Thompson (1778–1833), who is regarded by historians of socialist thought as the most influential theorist to emerge from the Owenite movement in early 19th-century Britain and Ireland. His work on the distribution of wealth was used by Marx, and he also became a key figure in the history of feminism. Fintan Lane outlines Thompson’s personal and political context as well as examining his social, political and economic thought. Part One covers his family, social and Irish background and...