| CODE | PHI3059 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Utopian Politics | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Philosophy | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Can politics be utopian? Since the invention of the word utopia (‘no place’) by Thomas More (1516), discussions about models of alternative political systems have revolved around the concept of utopia. The term is highly contested and often carries negative connotations, either as ‘unrealistic’ or as tending towards the totalitarian by attempting to impose a fixed blueprint on societies. On the other hand, from speculative fiction to political theory, utopian concepts have been productive ways of formulating radical criticism of the status quo and imagining alternatives. Recent utopian studies emphasise the potential of utopia as a dynamic and democratic process or method rather than a stable ideal. The study-unit will explore aspects of the history of utopian ideas, debates surrounding the concept, e.g. Marxist, feminist, post-colonial and abolitionist approaches, and the question of the relevance of utopian thought for political practices today – in the age of climate catastrophe. Students will be invited to discuss core texts of utopian writing and to probe the idea of utopian politics. Study-Unit Aims: The study-unit aims to enhance students’ knowledge of the history of utopian thought and their awareness of current debates surrounding the concept of utopia in political theory and practices. It also aims to train critical thinking and debating skills. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: utopia as a political concept and explain its history - explain and evaluate current debates surrounding the term utopia - interpret and analyse debates around ‘realistic’ versus ‘utopian’ politics - describe and compare alternative political models to the status quo 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - discuss the concept of utopia and its history critically - delve into research in the field of utopian political concepts - analyse, reflect critically and intervene in debates about political alternatives - have further developed critical thinking and debating skills Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Chrostowska, S. D./James D. Ingram (eds.) (2016). Political Uses of Utopia. New Marxist, Anarchist and Radical Democratic Perspectives. New York: Columbia University Press. (available in library as eBook) - Claeys, Gregory (ed.) (2010). The Cambridge Companion to Utopian Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (available in library as eBook) - Jameson, Fredric (2010). “Utopia as Method, or the Uses of the Future”. In: Gordin, Michael D. et al. (eds.). Utopia/Dystopia. Conditions of Historical Possibility. Princeton: Princeton University Press, p. 21-44. (available in library as eBook) - Levitas, Ruth (2013). Utopia as Method. The Imaginary Reconstitution of Society. Basingstoke/New York: Palgrave Macmillan. (not available in library) - Marx, Karl/Friedrich Engels (1848). Manifesto of the Communist Party (excerpts). (available online) - More, Thomas (2016), Utopia. Introduction by China Miéville. Essays by Ursula K. Le Guin. London/New York: Verso. (not available in library) - Sargent, Lyman Tower (2010). Utopianism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (not available in library) Students will be guided towards further up-to-date and more diverse readings during the course. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Seminar | |||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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