A “map of the world that does not include Utopia is not
worth ever glancing at” — Oscar Wilde
Thomas More is best known for his influential writing Utopia a novel that at the time dealt
with the trouble’s of England and while these troubles, over 500 years past,
are still asked about society by writers of the 21st Century.
The Utopian Vision
consists of seven essays that denote the ideas of utopian thought, ranging from
the concept of the “heavenly garden” to contemporary writing and analysis of
utopian dystopian ideology. Each essay chronologically and identifiably makes a
point for the reader to expound upon by his/her further thought or
investigation. The Utopian Vision is
a part of a series titled The Chautauqua
Series which:
[I]ntends to provide the intelligent,
educated layperson with stimulating reading on enduring aspects of thought and
culture. The books in this series are not necessarily to break new ground in
research or to provide complete summaries of issues but rather to stimulate
further thought and investigation
An excerpt from each essay with commentary
1. Paradise and Golden Age: Ancient Origins of the Heavenly
Utopia
E.N. Genovese
“Beginning with this undocumented but not improbable event,
I propose to trace a confluence of traditions of the first, eternal, and
ultimate utopia— paradise” (10).
Genovese’s essay reads with ease, interest and explores the “old”
idea of what utopia was. The reading is actually much more story like than an
academic essay, cleverly weaving in quotes that make his case. We are given a “storyteller”
as our narrative which is a touch that makes reading this essay enjoyable.
2. Place in No Place: Examples of the Ordered Society in
Literature
E.D.S Sullivan
[W]hether humanism, neoclassicism,
romanticism, or twentieth-century materialism— all the utopian examples of
society’s aspirations for what could or should be are predicted on a concept of
order which derives from function: the performance of certain work; the knowing
and doing of one’s job (30).
Sullivan explores the similarities and differences
throughout the utopian ideology. Its fundamentalism is called into check and
Sullivan goes on to explore relations but let’s off enough for the reader to
have their own thoughts. While this essay is informative it gives new ideas and
exemplary texts for the reader to follow up on.
3. Illusions of Endless Affluence
John J. Hardesty
“The utopia I would like to discuss is often referred to as
the American Dream, but this American Dream of an anti-human, self-defeating,
ecologically impossible utopia which is fast becoming a nightmare” (51).
Hardesty’s essay takes a drastic tone change and a harsher
realistic approach. Examining the very confines of our “American Dreams” and while I will not give away how he
achieves this in his persuasive essay I will say that this essay was rupturing when
reading.
4. The Russian Utopia
Frank M. Bartholomew
‘I believe in Russia.
I believe in the Greek Orthodox Church. I-I believe in the body of Christ— I
believe that the second coming will take place in Russia— I believe —‘ Shatov
murmured in a frenzy.
‘But
in God? In God?’
‘I-I
shall believe in God.’
—F.M.
Dostoevsky, The Devils
Bartholomew uses this epigraph in the opening of his essay
it foreshadows well what is to be discussed in his essay, Christianity and as
the titled suggests The Russian Utopia.
5. Auguste Comte and the Positivist Utopia
Oscar R. Marti
“Comtian positivism is a conglomerate of philosophical views
about ethics, religion and society united by a well defined vision of science
and a faith in its power to change human affairs for the better” (93).
Marti divulges into the world of positivism where he
discusses structure of society under its influence, their efforts to carry out
and reasoning for some of its failures. This essay is weighted by philosophy,
its abstract thinking gives the reader a chance to deeply think and analyze
society as a whole in the view of positivism.
6. Women in Utopia
Patricia Huckle
“The quest for utopia (and the difficulty in achieving it)
has been as important for nineteenth and twentieth century feminists as it has
been for other political and social critics and revolutionaries” (114).
Huckle looks deeply into the roots of feminism with her
paper. Taking a close look at nineteenth century and twentieth century
writings, feminist movements in literature such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman,
Mary Grifftih and the utopia’s that are created. She looks at the evolution of
a woman’s role within a commune, their ability to do equal work not based on
gender. Just as More in his novel had women and men tending to fields we see a breakdown
of gender where sex no longer has a defining place.
7. Kurt Vonnegut’s American Nightmares and Utopia
Julio A Martinez
Before we look more closely at the
opinions [Vonnegut] was now offering on the public occasions, and the two
novels which have since issued from the presumably “new Vonnegut,” it will be
useful to take a swift backward view onto the utopian themes already present in
his first seven novels (139)
Martinez describes to us in a chronological fashion the
writing and utopian themes described in Vonnegut’s writing. Slaughterhouse Five being of large focus
in his essay Martinez does well to underline the utopian/dystopian dream and
reality.
Each essay (based on lectures given at San Diego State University)
completes the task that the compilation was set out to do, to create and invoke
thought, to excite the reader to explore further into the realms of just what a
utopia/dystopia society is, its rationality, its place and evolution in our
society. Ranging from religion, philosophical, feminist, Marxist and fundamentalist
perspectives it gives us as the reader a wide range of thought in very few
pages.
If you’re of a curious mind and any of the quotes stimulated
your mind to find out further follow this link to purchase. There can be no
change without thought and this book begs for intellectual minds to ponder
deeply upon.
