LARTS 452 Utopian Visions
Imaginary places called utopias—hovering between the “good place” and the “no place”—are said to convey truths about the real world. Beginning with Thomas More’s famous text, Utopia, this course surveys the literary genre of utopia from the 16th to the 21st century, showing how writers have invented new worlds through fiction. In this course, you will become familiar with diverse kinds of utopias written in different historical, social, and political contexts, and you will think critically about the utility of “utopia” for understanding the human condition: past, present, and future. How do utopias portray things like gender, race, or class in human society, and why? What do utopias tell us about the relationship between humanity and nature, including animals? What role does technology and science play in utopias vs in the real world? What is the relationship between utopia and its apparent opposite: dystopia? As well as works by authors such as Francis Bacon, Adolphus Huxley, and Alex Garland, class materials will include examples from urban planning and architecture, as well as film and the visual arts.