Socialism: Utopian and Scientific

Socialism: Utopian and Scientific is a short nonfiction work by Friedrich Engels, first published in 1880. It grew out of Engels’ longer Anti-Dühring and sets out his ideas about socialism by contrasting utopian approaches with a more scientific one. The text first appeared in French, and it was shaped to make Marxist ideas accessible to working-class readers.

This book suits readers who are interested in political theory, the history of socialism, and how Marxist arguments were presented in a compact form. It is not a narrative book, but a concise essay that focuses on ideas rather than story, so it works best if you want a clear introduction to late 19th century socialist debate. Readers who like brief, direct, theory-driven writing will likely find it a natural starting point, especially if they want something connected to Engels’ wider political work.