The Politics Of Utopia

The Politics of Utopia  The Frederic Jameson excerpt, "The Politics Of Utopia", is one which illustrates very valid  points and also served as a wake up call for me personally. Jameson defines utopia as  something that isn't tangible and that means different things for different people. I happen  to agree with that because utopia can be quite different from one person to another. For  example, one person might think of utopia as a physical location where their deepest  desires are met with ease, while another person might think of utopia as an inner,  emotional state of nirvana. Jameson also makes great use of comparison and contrast  throughout the excerpt to showcase the great contradictions within the idea of utopia and  society in general throughout history. I found it very  that Jameson included a wide array  of sources and examples that have occurred throughout history in order to illustrate his  points such as the ongoing clash taking place between social classes and their differing  and coinciding outlooks on utopia. I really enjoyed reading the dissection of quotes from  great thinkers such as Freud and Marx in order to show the complex nature of the idea of  utopia. One of the important points that Jameson attempted to make was that utopia is an  ever evolving concept that has changes, as society has, throughout history. As Jameson  states, utopia is in parallel with the idea of human nature, an idea that is not 'natural' as  many are led to believe, but one that is man made and shifts with time. Utopia can be  seen under a similar light because it is an idea that has plagued humans forever and one  that, like others have stated, seems unattainable due to its complexity and its ambiguity  amongst different people and societies. Another important aspect of the excerpt is the  argument that is made about the contradiction between utopians seeking to sever ties  with politics but also being dependent upon politics at the same time. As Jameson states,  any substantial revolutions have been on the brink of occurring but end up not occurring  due to our inherit dependence on politics. When a looming revolution is in the horizon we  tend to focus on very specific issues and that diminishing the overall need for a revolution  and that leads to a cycle of conformity and dependence on a system that we sought to  abolish. I think that Jameson makes excellent points and vividly illustrates our innate  tendency to be walking and breathing contradictions, both in our thoughts and in our  actions. The idea of utopia is a perfect example of our inner contradictions and of our  individuality because, as Jameson states, we all have a different (but sometimes united)  vision of a utopian state and it changes within ourselves and within the larger society as  well. Overall, I think the excerpt from the Jameson book was excellent and it made great  use of comparisons and contrasts to drive the point home.