Resist Everything Except Temptation: The Anarchist Philosophy of Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde is remembered as a wit and a dandy, as a gay martyr, and as a brilliant writer, but his philosophical depth and political radicalism are often forgotten. Resist Everything Except Temptation locates Wilde firmly in the anarchist tradition, and argues that only when we take his politics seriously can we begin to understand the man, his life, and his work. Drawing from literary, historical, and biographical evidence, including archival research, the book outlines the philosophical influences and political implications of Wilde’s ideas on art, sex, morality, violence, and above all, individualism.