Government 268 - Utopian/Dystopian Visions and Political Theory

Thomas More penned his novel Utopia in 1516, and in 1868 John Stuart Mill coined 'dystopia' as the antithesis of More's idyllic vision. But the word utopia literally translates as "nowhere land." This course will explore the question how the exploration of "what could be" has been and remains a central focus in the work of much of political theory. Serving as both an exemplar and a warning of planned political societies, utopian and dystopian literature is always engaged in the work of making, unmaking, and remaking the possibilities for the original political question, "How should we govern?" Enrollment limit of 25.