The Revival of Political Imagination: Utopia as Methodology

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The Revival of Political Imagination offers a unique examination of the methodological aspects of utopia. Discussing utopia as a tool for social criticism, method and imaginative spaces - rather than in terms of its content - this volume analyses the function of utopias, to develop utopias as methodology and to show how instrumental utopian modes of thought can be in such diverse fields such as education, labour, and housing. Including discussions of traditional and contemporary utopias, as well as various forms of expression of utopian hope, from literature to social science and cultural practices, The Revival of Political Imagination is both analytical and practical in its elucidation of how political theory can function to foster our imaginative skills.

Reviews

'A valuable contribution to contemporary scholarly debates in both Utopian Studies and the social sciences more broadly. Its individual case studies provide a wide-ranging and engaging exploration of the contemporary relevance of the imaginative skill of utopian dreaming as a means of facilitating social transformation. * Mark Allison, Ohio Wesleyan University *
This vibrant collection covers the bases for a re-energized, re-radicalized utopian political imagination. The contributors offer a fresh and wide-ranging use of the utopian method to imagine social alternatives and shore up collective struggles against global dystopian tendencies. A timely example of the kind of social critique from a utopian point of view we desperately need. * S. D. Chrostowska, York University, Canada *
An important contribution to contemporary scholarship on utopian and dystopian theory and practice. * Tom Moylan, University of Limerick *

Author Bio

Teppo Eskelinen is Senior lecturer in Development Studies at the University of Jyvskyl, Finland. A philosopher, Eskelinen has also worked as a lecturer in social and public policy. His research interests include political economy and global justice broadly understood, and he has also done research on radical democracy, classics of heterodox economics and economic alternatives.