During her short life, Flora Tristan experienced the pain that arises from socioeconomic inequality and male domination. She consistently felt excluded and untouchable, akin to an Indian Pariah. However, instead of being defeated by this feeling, she transformed it into a theoretical weapon to reclaim freedom and equality. By deeply empathizing with her sorrows, she shared them with others and ultimately formulated a socialist theory rooted in sympathy. According to Tristan, socialism wasn’t merely a social and economic theory; it was a practical necessity born from the fact that she actually felt in her heart the dreadful sound of the iron spoon, which foretold the suffering and death of thousands of English workers compelled to drink the contaminated water of the Thames.
Keywords: Flora Tristan, Socialism, Sympathy, Love, Pain.