The Political Economy of Utopia

Bibliographic Data

ID9256072
AuthorsG M Hodgson (0000-0002-5823-3996, University of Cambridge, corresponding author)
Year1995
Volume53
Issue2
Pages195-214
Publication date1995-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueReview of Social Economy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0034-6764 • E-ISSN: 1470-1162
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00346769500000022
OpenAlexW2001774588
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited28

Utopian ideals of communist, socialist, or even individualistic, free market societies have inspired humankind for centuries. Against the notions of "the end of ideology" or "the end of history" this article argues for the legitimacy of utopian discourse, but not by promoting a specific utopian plan. It is shown that even "anti-utopians" such as Marx and Hayek end up promoting a utopia of their own. Instead of rejecting utopianism, what is required is a meta-utopian discourse in which the idea of a perfect society is rejected but the potential and limitations of different kinds of utopias can be measured. Key parameters are outlined via a critical consideration of the writings of Hayek, Malthus, Marx, and Veblen. The idea of evotopia is established to accommodate the elements of novelty and variety which are missing in much utopian thinking

Communism · Economics · Epistemology · Ideology · Individualism · Legitimacy · Neoclassical economics · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Utopia · Variety (cybernetics) · Veblen good · Economic Theory and Institutions · Economic Theory and Policy · Law · Philosophy · Political Economy and Marxism

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