An Introduction to Utopia in Literatures of the European East, 5 cr

During the five centuries of its history, Utopia has taken many forms. But at its heart, inevitably, lies a desire for a better world. In the midst of war, catastrophic climate crisis, and new forms of fascism – to name but the most urgent global crises – the very mention of Utopia seems odd: surely dystopia or apocalypse would be more suitable lenses for understanding the present? Miguel Abensour famously described the persistence of Utopia as an impulse “toward freedom and justice,” which is continuously “reborn in history, reappears, makes itself felt in the blackest catastrophe, resists as if catastrophe itself called forth new summations”. If catastrophes are an indicator, it is no wonder that Utopia has returned into scholarly and cultural debates today.

This course offers a general introduction to the contemporary theories of Utopia, as human impulse and literary form, drawing on philosophy, semiotics and literary theory. It then puts theory into practice by offering an overview of Utopia in Eastern European literatures, with a special focus on the 21st-century texts. The students will be expected to read one full novel and a selection of literary excerpts (in the English translation), which we shall discuss and analyse in class.

This lecture course is funded by Russia and Eastern Europe Studies (REES) network. The course is organized by Tampere University.