Political Uses Of Utopia

Author : S. D. Chrostowska,James D. Ingram
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 403 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2017-03-21
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780231544313

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Political Uses of Utopia by S. D. Chrostowska,James D. Ingram Pdf

Utopia has long been banished from political theory, framed as an impossible—and possibly dangerous—political ideal, a flawed social blueprint, or a thought experiment without any practical import. Even the "realistic utopias" of liberal theory strike many as wishful thinking. Can politics think utopia otherwise? Can utopian thinking contribute to the renewal of politics? In Political Uses of Utopia, an international cast of leading and emerging theorists agree that the uses of utopia for politics are multiple and nuanced and lie somewhere between—or, better yet, beyond—the mainstream caution against it and the conviction that another, better world ought to be possible. Representing a range of perspectives on the grand tradition of Western utopianism, which extends back half a millennium and perhaps as far as Plato, these essays are united in their interest in the relevance of utopianism to specific historical and contemporary political contexts. Featuring contributions from Miguel Abensour, Étienne Balibar, Raymond Geuss, and Jacques Rancière, among others, Political Uses of Utopia reopens the question of whether and how utopianism can inform political thinking and action today.

Author : Barbara Goodwin,Keith Taylor
Publisher : Peter Lang
Page : 348 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2009
Category : History
ISBN : 3039110802

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The Politics of Utopia by Barbara Goodwin,Keith Taylor Pdf

This book provides both an introduction to utopianism and a general perspective on radical political thought. Vigorously disputing the widespread conviction that utopianism is a fantasy with no relevance to modern political life and thought, the authors argue that it is a concept whose special virtue lies in its capacity to transcend the limitations of present circumstances, to inspire alternative thinking and to open up new directions for political action. This book develops an approach which relates social causes to political theory and practice. The first part discusses utopianism as a form of political theory with unique characteristics and the ability to transcend the present. The second part considers utopianism as an expression of fundamental social impulses and as an ingredient of modern political movements. The third part offers a defence of utopianism as both theory and practice, and argues for its use to counteract the pragmatism and narrow empiricism which often passes for political «realism» in modern societies. This reissue of a popular and well-received landmark text contains a new preface.

Author : Zsolt Cziganyik
Publisher : Central European University Press
Page : 265 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2017-03-30
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9789633862438

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Utopian Horizons by Zsolt Cziganyik Pdf

The 500th anniversary of Thomas More’s Utopia has directed attention toward the importance of utopianism. This book investigates the possibilities of cooperation between the humanities and the social sciences in the analysis of 20th century and contemporary utopian phenomena. The papers deal with major problems of interpreting utopias, the relationship of utopia and ideology, and the highly problematic issue as to whether utopia necessarily leads to dystopia. Besides reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary utopian investigations, the eleven essays effectively represent the constructive attitudes of utopian thought, a feature that not only defines late 20th- and 21st-century utopianism, but is one of the primary reasons behind the rising importance of the topic. The volume’s originality and value lies not only in the innovative theoretical approaches proposed, but also in the practical application of the concept of utopia to a variety of phenomena which have been neglected in the utopian studies paradigm, especially to the rarely discussed Central European texts and ideologies.

Author : Marinela Freitas
Publisher : Universidade do Porto
Page : 276 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2005
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9728025408

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Utopia Matters by Marinela Freitas Pdf

Author : Lyman Tower Sargent
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 160 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2010-09-23
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780191614422

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Utopianism: A Very Short Introduction by Lyman Tower Sargent Pdf

There are many debates about utopia - What constitutes a utopia? Are utopias benign or dangerous? Is the idea of utopianism essential to Christianity or heretical? What is the relationship between utopia and ideology? This Very Short Introduction explores these issues and examines utopianism and its history. Lyman Sargent discusses the role of utopianism in literature, and in the development of colonies and in immigration. The idea of utopia has become commonplace in social and political thought, both negatively and positively. Some thinkers see a trajectory from utopia to totalitarianism with violence an inevitable part of the mix. Others see utopia directly connected to freedom and as a necessary element in the fight against totalitarianism. In Christianity utopia is labelled as both heretical and as a fundamental part of Christian belief, and such debates are also central to such fields as architecture, town and city planning, and sociology among many others Sargent introduces and summarizes the debates over the utopia in literature, communal studies, social and political theory, and theology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : David J. Lorenzo
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2014-05-08
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781441142566

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Cities at the End of the World by David J. Lorenzo Pdf

This book undertakes a critical examination of contemporary political problems through discussions of three utopian and three dystopian texts. Selected stories from Morris, Orwell, More, Bellamy, Neville, and Zamyatin are used to generate questions about fundamental economic, political, and social problems, human nature, and conceptions of the good life. This unique work is an exceptional resource for all students of political philosophy and utopian literature, as well as for general readers interested in political affairs.

Author : Teppo Eskelinen
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 173 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2020-07-23
Category : Reference
ISBN : 9781786999580

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The Revival of Political Imagination by Teppo Eskelinen Pdf

The Revival of Political Imagination offers a unique examination of the methodological aspects of utopia. Discussing utopia as a tool for social criticism, method and imaginative spaces - rather than in terms of its content - this volume analyses the function of utopias, to develop utopias as methodology and to show how instrumental utopian modes of thought can be in such diverse fields such as education, labour, and housing. Including discussions of traditional and contemporary utopias, as well as various forms of expression of utopian hope, from literature to social science and cultural practices, The Revival of Political Imagination is both analytical and practical in its elucidation of how political theory can function to foster our imaginative skills.

Author : Saint Thomas More
Publisher : Transaction Large Print
Page : 146 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 1997-01-01
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 1560005459

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Utopia by Saint Thomas More Pdf

Amid the twentieth century's seemingly overwhelming problems, some thinkers dared to envisage a world order governed by utopian proposals that would eliminate--or at least alleviate--the evils of society and secure positive advantages for all human beings. Others found this utopian optimism a hopeless fantasy and predicted a utopian order only repressiveness, boredom, and the impoverishment of human experience. The unique gathering of articles in Utopia vividly demonstrates the tension existing between utopian ideas and their proponents and the severe criticism of their adversaries. Among utopia's enthusiastic supporters, B. F. Skinner outlines the educational practices needed to sustain his concept of utopia, while Margaret Mead sets forth a bold defense of utopian vision in her article "Towards More Vivid Utopias." In active opposition to modern utopian idealism, Ralf Dahrendorf, the prominent German sociologist and politician, compares utopia with a cemetery and criticizes its fixed and uneventful life, and J. L. Talmon predicts that, since utopianism postulates absolute social cohesion, there is no escape from dictatorship in the utopian design. Still another alternative is offered by Zbigniew Brzezinski, who bases his futurist ideology on the trends of technology in the advanced countries of the world, especially the United States. He sees in the conscious application of technical-scientific rationality by an intellectual elite the method by which the promises of modern knowledge can be made good. Underscoring the fact that the utopian tradition can make us look at the real world with new eyes, George Kateb, the editor of Utopia, clarifies the terms of this long-standing debate and offers a thorough analysis of the "strong utopian impetus to save the world from as much of its confusion and disorder as possible." The work is an argument neither for utopian or anti-utopian visions. Rather it shows the possibilities of political norms in advancing the human condition in open societies. George Kateb is William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Politics, Emeritus at Princeton University. He formerly had the roles of Director of the Program in Political Philosophy, Director of the Gauss Seminars, and Director of the University Center for Human Values all at Princeton University. His most recent book is Patriotism and Other Mistakes and he is also the author of many scholarly articles mainly in the fields of constitutional law and the Bill of Rights.

Author : S. D. Chrostowska
Publisher : Stanford University Press
Page : 212 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2021-10-19
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781503630000

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Utopia in the Age of Survival by S. D. Chrostowska Pdf

A pathbreaking exploration of the fate of utopia in our troubled times, this book shows how the historically intertwined endeavors of utopia and critique might be leveraged in response to humanity's looming existential challenges. Utopia in the Age of Survival makes the case that critical social theory needs to reinstate utopia as a speculative myth. At the same time the left must reassume utopia as an action-guiding hypothesis—that is, as something still possible. S. D. Chrostowska looks to the vibrant, visionary mid-century resurgence of embodied utopian longings and projections in Surrealism, the Situationist International, and critical theorists writing in their wake, reconstructing utopia's link to survival through to the earliest, most radical phase of the French environmental movement. Survival emerges as the organizing concept for a variety of democratic political forms that center the corporeality of desire in social movements contesting the expanding management of life by state institutions across the globe. Vigilant and timely, balancing fine-tuned analysis with broad historical overview to map the utopian impulse across contemporary cultural and political life, Chrostowska issues an urgent report on the vitality of utopia.

Author : Zsolt Cziganyik
Publisher : Central European University Press
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2017-03-31
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9789633861813

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Utopian Horizons by Zsolt Cziganyik Pdf

The 500th anniversary of Thomas More?s Utopia has directed attention toward the importance of utopianism. This book investigates the possibilities of cooperation between the humanities and the social sciences in the analysis of 20th century and contemporary utopian phenomena. The papers deal with major problems of interpreting utopias, the relationship of utopia and ideology, and the highly problematic issue as to whether utopia necessarily leads to dystopia. Besides reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary utopian investigations, the eleven essays effectively represent the constructive attitudes of utopian thought, a feature that not only defines late 20th- and 21st-century utopianism, but is one of the primary reasons behind the rising importance of the topic. The volume?s originality and value lies not only in the innovative theoretical approaches proposed, but also in the practical application of the concept of utopia to a variety of phenomena which have been neglected in the utopian studies paradigm, especially to the rarely discussed Central European texts and ideologies.

Author : Russell Jacoby
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 1999-05-02
Category : Political Science
ISBN : UOM:39015043783698

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The End Of Utopia by Russell Jacoby Pdf

In The End of Utopia, Jacoby takes a sobering look at the future of politics. He points to the abandonment of utopian ideals that once sustained dissent and movements of social change.

Author : Dimitris Vardoulakis
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 153 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2018
Category : Democracy
ISBN : 0823277399

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Stasis Before the State by Dimitris Vardoulakis Pdf

How is political change possible when even the most radical revolutions only reproduce sovereign power? Via the analysis of the contradictory meanings of stasis, Vardoulakis argues that the opportunity for political change is located in the agonistic relation between sovereignty and democracy and thus demands a radical rethinking.

Author : Judith N. Shklar
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 330 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2020-04-07
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780691200866

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After Utopia by Judith N. Shklar Pdf

A political philosophy classic from one of the foremost political thinkers of the twentieth century After Utopia was Judith Shklar’s first book, a harbinger of her renowned career in political philosophy. Throughout the many changes in political thought during the last half century, this important work has withstood the test of time. In After Utopia, Shklar explores the decline of political philosophy, from Enlightenment optimism to modern cultural despair, and she offers a critical, creative analysis of this downward trend. She looks at Romantic and Christian social thought, and she shows that while the present political fatalism may be unavoidable, the prophets of despair have failed to explain the world they so dislike, leaving the possibility of a new and vigorous political philosophy. With a foreword by Samuel Moyn, examining After Utopia’s continued relevance, this current edition introduces a remarkable synthesis of ideas to a new generation of readers.

Author : Michael Weber,Kevin Vallier
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 352 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2017-03-14
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780190280611

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Political Utopias by Michael Weber,Kevin Vallier Pdf

Political theory, from antiquity to the present, has been divided over the relationship between the requirements of justice and the limitations of persons and institutions to meet those requirements. Some theorists hold that a theory of justice should be utopian or idealistic--that the derivation of the correct principles of justice should not take into account human and institutional limitations. Others insist on a realist or non-utopian view, according to which feasibility--facts about what is possible given human and institutional limitations--is a constraint on principles of justice. In recent years, the relationship between the ideal and the real has become the subject of renewed scholarly interest. This anthology aims to represent the contemporary state of this classic debate. By and large, contributors to the volume deny that the choice between realism and idealism is binary. Rather, there is a continuum between realism and idealism that locates these extremes of each view at opposite poles. The contributors, therefore, tend to occupy middle positions, only leaning in the ideal or non-ideal direction. Together, their contributions not only represent a wide array of attractive positions in the new literature on the topic, but also collectively advance how we understand the difference between idealism and realism itself.

Author : Robert Nozick
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 386 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 1974
Category : Anarchism
ISBN : 9780631197805

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Anarchy, State, and Utopia by Robert Nozick Pdf

Robert Nozicka s Anarchy, State, and Utopia is a powerful, philosophical challenge to the most widely held political and social positions of our age ---- liberal, socialist and conservative.