In this highly influential book Ruth Levitas provides an excellent introduction to the meaning
and importance of the concept of utopia and explores a wealth of material drawn from
literature and social theory to illustrate its rich history and analytical versatility.
Situating utopia within the dynamics of the modern imagination she examines the ways in which
it has been used by some of the leading thinkers of modernity: Marx Engels Karl Mannheim
Robert Owen Georges Sorel Ernst Bloch William Morris and Herbert Marcuse. Utopia remains
the most potent secular concept for imagining and producing a 'better world' and this classic
text will be invaluable to students across a wide range of disciplines.
