Utopia & Anti-Utopia in Modern Times
by Krishan Kumar
The
dream of a good or perfect society is as old as mankind. But 'utopia', the specifically
literary expression of this dream, was invented only in 1516, by Sir Thomas
More. From that time onwards, utopia has been a compelling form for the expression
of the hopes and fears of western society.
This book is mainly concerned with the latest phase of utopia's history: the period since the 1880's. It considers the utopias and anti-utopias of edward Bellamy, H.G. Wells, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell and B.F. Skinner. Science and socialism, their promise and their dangers, are the central themes of these works. The final part of the book considers that fate of utopia in the second half of the twentieth century.
'A really outstanding book.' New Society
'Utopia and Anti-Utopia is a tour de force...a mammoth achievement, the kind of book many would happily write and die.' Thesis Eleven
'Kumar has written a brilliant book, and above all and engagingly readabel book...His scholarship and common of the vast utopian literature are remarkable.' Sociology
'There seems to be nothing relevant that Kumar has not absorbed and does not describe and evaluate intelligently. In thoroughness and readability, his is a literary-genre study as satisfying as C.S. Lewis' Allegory of Love,' A.L.A Booklist
More books by Krishan Kumar
From
Post-Industrial to Post-Modern Society: Second Edition
1989 Revolutionary Ideas
& Ideals
Revolution:
The Theory & Practice of a European Idea
Prophecy
& Progress: The Sociology of Industrial & Post-Industrial Society
Dilemmas
of Liberal Democracies: Studies in Fred Hirsch's Social Limits to Growth
The
Rise of Modern Society: Aspects of the Social & Political Development of
the West
Utopianism
Utopias and the Millennium
Public & Private
in Thought & Practice
The Making of English
National Identity