This study focuses on the latest phase of the literary tradition of utopia, from the 19th century to the present, in Europe and America. It aims to show how modern versions of utopia and anti-utopia engage in debate about the future of modern society, and especially the role of socialism and science within it. The book asks whether socialism will lead to freedom and fulfillment or to tyranny and conformity, and whether will science free us or enslave us.
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
As Kumar notes, neither histories of utopian thought nor close discussions of utopian fictions are particularly rare. This book seeks to be different by combining sociohistorical intellectual analysis of utopian and dystopian ideas with interrelated discussions of five texts ( Looking Backward, A Modern Utopia, Brave New World, 1984, Walden Two ). The total effect is curious, the whole exceeding the sum of the parts. There is not a lot of "new" information here (and whether more ever needs to be written about Huxley's book or Orwell's is open to debate), but the kind of immersion into concept it affords does yield a new "understanding." The book is well reasoned and supported, the prose serviceable. Of interest to Huxley/Orwell followers, as well as to a limited general audience and term-paper writers. Robert E. Brown, Onondaga Cty. P.L., Syracuse, N.Y.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
major work on utopian literature,
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This review is from: Utopia and Anti-Utopia in Modern Times (Paperback)
This is the sort of work you finish reading and feel respect and a bit of envy for the author. It was an amazing accomplishment and should be a standard in utopian literature. Owing to a personal bias, I would have liked a bit more in-depth analysis of B.F. Skinner and Walden Two. Kumar lacks a behavior analyst's understanding of Skinner, but for this he can be fogiven. Kumar mixes up "negative reinforcement" with punishment, which is an unfortunate but common mistake with non-behaviorists. He is also very far behind the times in terms of the generalization and maintenance of behavior analytic programming. Nonetheless, truly an impressive work.
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