Students of United States history, seeking to identify the circumstances that encouraged the emergence of feminist movements, have thoroughly investigated the mid-nineteenth-century American economic and social conditions that affected the status of women. These historians, however, have analyzed less fully the development of specifically feminist ideas and activities during the same period. Furthermore, the ideological origins of feminism in the United States have been obscured because, even when historians did take into account those feminist ideas and activities occurring within the United States, they failed to recognize that feminism was then a truly international movement actually centered in Europe. American feminist activists who have been described as "solitary" and "individual theorists" were in reality connected to a movement -utopian socialism—— which was already popularizing feminist ideas in Europe during the two decades that culminated in the first women's rights conference held at Seneca Falls. New York, in 1848. Thus, a complete understanding of the origins and development of nineteenth-century feminism in the United States requires that the geographical focus be widened to include Europe and that the detailed study already made of social conditions be expanded to include the ideological development of feminism.

　　The earliest and most popular of the utopian socialists were the Saint-Simonians. The specifically feminist part of Saint-Simonianism has, however, been less studied than the group's contribution to early socialism. This is regrettable on two counts. By 1832 feminism was the central concern of Saint-Simonianism and entirely absorbed its adherents' energy; hence, by ignoring its feminism. European historians have misunderstood Saint-Simonianism. Moreover, since many feminist ideas can be traced to Saint-Simonianism, European historians' appreciation of later feminism in France and the United States remained limited.

　　Saint-Simon's followers, many of whom were women, based their feminism on an interpretation of his project to reorganize the globe by replacing brute force with the rule of spiritual powers. The new world order would be ruled together by a male, to represent reflection, and a female, to represent sentiment. This complementarity reflects the fact that, while the Saint-Simonians did not reject the belief that there were innate differences between men and women, they nevertheless foresaw an equally important social and political role for both sexes in their Utopia.

　　Only a few Saint-Simonians opposed a definition of sexual equality based on gender distinction. This minority believed that individuals of both sexes were born similar in capacity and character, and they ascribed male-female differences to socialization and education. The envisioned result of both currents of thought, however, was that women would enter public life in the new age and that sexual equality would reward men as well as women with an improved way of life.

　　21.It can be inferred that the author considers those

　　historians who describe early feminists in the Unrated:

　　States as "solitary" to be

　　Ainsufficiently familiar with the international

　　origins of nineteenth-century American feminist thought (A)

　　Boverly concerned with the regional diversity

　　of feminist ideas in the period before 1848

　　Cnot focused narrowly enough in their geo-

　　graphical scope

　　Dinsufficiently aware of the ideological consequences of the Seneca Falls conference

　　22.According to the passage, which of the following

　　is true of the Seneca Falls conference on women's rights?

　　AIt was primarily a product of nineteenth-

　　century Saint-Simonian feminist thought.

　　BIt was the work of American activists who

　　were independent of feminists abroad.

　　C It was the culminating achievement of the

　　Utopian socialist movement.

　　DIt was a manifestation of an international

　　movement for social change and feminism (D)

　　23.The author's attitude toward most European

　　historians who have studied the Saint-Simonians

　　is primarily one of

　　A approval of the specific focus of their research

　　B disapproval of their lack of attention to the

　　issue that absorbed most of the Saint-Simonians' energy after 1832(B)

　　Capproval of their general focus on social conditions

　　Ddisapproval of their lack of attention to links

　　between the Saint-Simonians and their American counterparts

　　24.It can be inferred from the passage that the author

　　believes that study of Saint-Simonianism is necessary

　　for historians of American feminism because such study

　　Awould clarify the ideological origins of those

　　feminist ideas that influenced American feminism(A)

　　Bwould increase understanding of a movement

　　that deeply influenced the Utopian socialism of early American feminists

　　Cwould focus attention on the most important

　　aspect of Saint-Simonian thought before 1832

　　Dpromises to offer insight into a movement that

　　was a direct outgrowth of the Seneca Falls conference of 1848

　　25.According to the passage, which of the following

　　would be the most accurate description of the

　　society envisioned by most Saint-Simonians?

　　AA society in which women were highly regarded

　　for their extensive education

　　BA society in which the two genders played

　　complementary roles and had equal status (B)

　　CA society in which women did not enter public life

　　DA social order in which a body of men and

　　women would rule together on the basis of their spiritual power