Repository | Book | Chapter

Utopian political writing has a long history, dating back to, perhaps, Plato's Republic. Traditionally, utopian political writing attempts to depict a just political arrangement, and by doing so, presents a tacit critique of social and political conditions that differ significantly from the ideal society depicted. Thomas More's Utopia and Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward, and perhaps Plato's Republic, are examples of this type of theoretical engagement. But other theoretical strategies — those which attempt to define the principles and justification for legitimate political, legal, and moral activity antecedent to any particular situation — are utopian in a different way. These types of theoretical endeavors begin in overly abstract scenarios and often ignore actual cultural context. The particularities of place and time are marginalized in favor of abstract justifications of first principles. Political, legal, and moral principles, then used as justification for a substantive program, appear to be ahis-torical but attempt a sort of logical perfection. These begin not with custom, experience, taste, and prejudice, nor with the sentimental induction summarizing our collective experience, but with first principles and imaginary scenarios. Those Enlightenment political figures discussed in Chapter 1, Hobbes, Locke, Paine, Rousseau, and Kant, each conceived of a mythical, imaginary beginning in the state of nature to begin their inquiries into the essence of legitimate political authority and just legislation.

DOI: 10.1057/9781137466839_11

Full citation: