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Is there a future in the past? A search for answers within the philosophical tradition of utopian thought
Are utopias, as the literal translation of the Greek word ou-topos suggests, concepts that have no place—that is, that exist nowhere? Or might philosopher Ernst Bloch’s idea be accurate, namely that utopias are, under certain circumstances, something that has not yet found a place?
In Western philosophy, there have been repeated attempts to conceive of utopias centered on the good life. These alternative visions, in contrast to the shortcomings of current social orders, were not only visions of an ideal political order but also designs for a manageable constellation centered on small groups and interactions.
For example, the idea of friendship as described by Michel de Montaigne could be part of the tradition of utopian thought. Likewise, the hope for a form of interpersonal practice based on the assumption of an undamaged intersubjectivity—as conceived by Hannah Arendt and Jürgen Habermas, for instance—could be regarded as a utopian vision of successful coexistence. The garden philosophy of the ancient philosopher Epicurus, in which the garden is established as a place of retreat and as a refuge from the catastrophes of the world, can likewise be classified among utopian designs.
A discussion of the ideas presented will follow.
