Anna Wheeler e William Thompson. Rapporti e influenze fra il cooperativismo inglese e il cooperativismo francese

In 19th century Europe, a heated debate existed between those who were determined to see the restoration of a conservative status quo and those preoccupied with the evolving social question resulting from changes brought about by industrialization. A group of French and British thinkers turned to the cooperativism as a means to reestablish a society based on egalitarianism and equality rather than one increasingly lacerated by economic disparity and political and social inequity. Among the protagonists of European Cooperativism were the two Irish thinkers Anna Wheeler and William Thompson, who can be credited with promoting and strengthening an exchange of ideas with their French counterparts. In doing so, they created a solid network for discussion within the Cooperativist movement, which clearly manifests itself in their writings.