MEETING THEME: “Real Utopias” seems like
an oxymoron: Utopia means “nowhere”—a
fantasy world of perfect harmony and
social justice. To describe a proposal
for social transformation as “utopian”
is to dismiss it as an impractical dream
outside the limits of possibility.
Realists reject such fantasies as a
distraction from the serious business of
making practical improvements in
existing institutions. The idea of real
utopias embraces this tension between
dreams and practice: “utopia” implies
developing clear-headed visions of
alternatives to existing institutions
that embody our deepest aspirations for
a world in which all people have access
to the conditions to live flourishing
lives; “real” means taking seriously the
problem of the viability of the
institutions that could move us in the
direction of that world. The goal is to
elaborate utopian ideals that are
grounded in the real potentials of
humanity, utopian destinations that have
accessible way stations, utopian designs
of viable institutions that can inform
our practical tasks of navigating a
world of imperfect conditions for social
change.
