'The Imaginary' and The Utopian Ideal

Abstract

This article traces the mutually-sustaining relationship between the notions of 'the imaginary' on the one hand, and 'utopia' on the other, from the birth of the modern era to today. Firstly, we attempt to clarify, from an anthropological perspective, the nature and the social force of 'the imaginary'. Then we analyse the various ways in which the concept of utopia has taken shape in the modern era. Finally, in recognition of its cultural changes over recent decades, we analyse the current meaning of utopia, tracing the changes it has gone through, and the new shapes that it has taken.