„Controlling what you couldn’t control." Utopien denken und theoretisieren

Andreas Gehrlach
Institute of Studies in Art and Art Education, Cultural Studies
2026S, scientific seminar (SEW), 4.0 ECTS, 2.0 semester hours, course number S05992

Ecology/sustainability/climate justice

Description

Fredric Jameson is said to have once remarked, “It's easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism.” That may have been true in the 1990s, but it is no longer the case today. This is particularly evident in the literary genre of utopia, which is flourishing today as rarely before. Not only are new utopias constantly appearing, but utopian thinkers of recent decades are also becoming very relevant again. This is especially true of Ursula K. Le Guin, from whom the quote in the title of this seminar is taken. We will begin by reading texts by and about her and engage with utopian theory. In the second part of the seminar, we will decide together whether to focus on classical utopias (Morus, Campanella, Bacon, Foigny, Morris, Cavendish, Rousseau, Thoreau), look at more recent and contemporary utopias (Margaret Killjoy, Cory Doctorow, Octavia Butler, Callenbach, Starhawk, Daniel Miller, etc.), or whether we will take a closer look at utopian theories (Engels, Jameson, Kristin Ross, Adorno, Bloch, etc.)

 

The Seminar will take place Wednesday, 4-6pm. Starting date ist March 11th, room is Seminarraum 25 (VZA, EG)

Examination Modalities

Academic paper (15 pages)

or

your own utopia (5-10 pages) and an academic commentary essay (5-10 pages) on it.

 

Comments

To understand utopias, they should be read in their entirety, as excerpts give but a distorted picture of the society described. There will be a lot to read, especially in the second part of the seminar, so the seminar is recommended for rather persistent readers.

 

Course Enrolment

From 02 February 2026, 09:00
Via online registration

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