Since the writing of Plato's Republic, many philosophers have constructed utopias, with a variety of aims: criticizing existing societies, giving an impetus to social reform, and so on. This course will examine some issues raised by the writing of utopias-and dystopias, which embody criticisms of utopia. First, what is the relationship between the construction of a utopia and traditional work in political philosophy? What work does the envisioning of an ideal do for political philosophy? Second, criticisms of particular utopias are almost as old as the utopias themselves; however, in the modern period, some philosophers have criticized the very idea of a utopia, both because implementing such a utopia seems to require unacceptable means, and on the grounds that an established perfect society compromises something that is valuable to human political life. What are these in-principle criticisms of utopia and what merit do they have? These and other issues will be explored through readings of a number of utopian and anti-utopian writers, including More, Rousseau, Marx, Popper, and Huxley. Requirements: frequent short papers and a longer final paper. Prerequisite: Philosophy 101 or instructor's permission.
KAMTEKAR