Utopias in European Life and Literature.

Abstract

This volume contains selected papers from the fourth biennial Durham European Literature Symposium, held at the University of Durham, in 1998. The theme of utopias arose from the discussion following the third Symposium (proceedings published under the title Myth and its Legacy in European Literature (Durham: DMLS, 1996). It was suggested that utopian thinking might be considered as a ‘mythical universal’ of human experience, and that its mutations over time and in different socio-cultural circumstances would be a fruitful object of study. This collection bears testimony to the fact that utopianism has not lost its power to charm, intrigue or irritate present-day scholars and writers. The articles in this book concentrate on utopias in the general generic sense in which that sense is often used; but the term ‘utopia’ (often supposed to be a ‘eutopia’, that is, a benign or marvellous place giving ample scope for the perfectibility of humankind) has many connotations, ranging from the literal sense of ‘no place’ and to the less benign meaning of dystopia or ‘bad place’.

Citation

Thomas, N. E. (Ed.). (2000). Utopias in European Life and Literature. Durham Modern Languages Series

• Book Type: Edited Book
• Publication Date: 2000
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1133024