Much is heard about utopia and dystopia But do you really know what each one of these terms means? The two words have very different meanings, so check this post to see what each one means!

What are utopia and dystopia?

The main differences between utopia and dystopia After all, human beings have always tried to predict what humanity and the configuration of society would be like in a few years time. Therefore, this experience of projecting the future is something very common in our history.

The term utopia relates to an idea of a society that is very different from the one we know, and that would be better in many ways. The development of this word took place in the 16th century, after the publication of English thinker Thomas More's book, "Utopia".

So, to understand better about this expression, let's understand the context of the moment of its creation.

Utopia

At that time, Europeans were in the process of discovering new continents, such as America and Oceania. In fact, they were fascinated by these fantastic lands and predicted a good future.

In More's work, a traveler visits the island of Utopia. In this narrative, the place was an environment where there is no private property, excessive luxuries, or social differences. Therefore, it is a place where there is well-being among all human beings.

More's idea of developing an egalitarian society is based on Plato's line of thought. In "The Republic", the Greek philosopher reflects on a city that is founded on the values of justice and goodness.

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After More's book, the term utopia was widely used in various literary narratives, always to designate perfect societies. In addition, the term also appears as philosophical thinking or in the realm of politics to indicate ideologies or projects with a high degree of idealization.

Dystopia

On the other hand, the word dystopia was first introduced by philosopher John Stuart Mill in 1868. He used the term in a speech in Parliament to indicate something that is the opposite of utopia.

In the 20th century, the period was marked by accelerated changes with the advent of new technologies and scientific discoveries. However, it was also a troubled time, with two world wars and very violent totalitarian regimes

Because of this, several literary works such as science fiction become very popular in this period. Authors turned their gaze to the consequences of all this in everyday life.

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Because of these uncertainties of the future, the dystopia highlights the negative effects of both the advancement of technology and totalitarian regimes. In general, pessimism is the main tone of these narratives, which present a bleak world that no one would like to live in.

So, the dystopia and utopia are projections that we have about the future. However, one thinks in a negative way and another has a positive line of thought.

Utopian and dystopian: literary works

One way to better understand the terms is the literary works produced over the years, so let's take a look at each one in the next topics.

Books about utopia

1 - Lost Horizon (1933), by James Hilton

The first utopian work we bring here is "Lost Horizon" written by James Hilton. The book mixes adventure and spirituality and tells the story of a group of people who are fleeing from war. However, one day they are kidnapped and held in a distant mountain in Tibet, which is called Shangri-la.

2 - The End of Childhood (1953), by Arthur C. Clark

The third dystopian work on our list was written by Arthur C. Clark, author of "2001: A Space Odyssey". "Childhood's End" tells the story of an alien invasion that occurred peacefully on Earth.

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In this context, the planet experiences a period of peace and prosperity.

3 - The Island (1962), by Aldous Huxley

The last book written by Aldous Huxley, "The Island", is set on a fictitious island where people live cut off from the world, controlled by a sect that is made up of oriental religions and has science as an important basis. The people lead a happy existence and live in a way that is integrated with nature.

4 - White Mars (1999), by Brian Aldiss

Finally, "White Mars" is a science fiction classic by Brian Aldiss that presents a colonization of Mars in the not too distant future. People who are visionaries try to prevent the interests of the powerful from ending up turning Mars into an environment of destruction like the one that occurred on Planet Earth.

Utopia and Dystopia: Books about Dystopia

1 - 1984 (1949), by George Orwell

"1984," George Orwell's last book, is one of the most important novels of the 20th century. The book tells the story of Winston, a man who lives trapped in a society dominated by the state, and is constantly watched by the Party and its leader Big Brother.

The Party's interest is power, so it suppresses any kind of free speech. Winston's purpose in this society is to falsify historical government records, yet he is not happy with this reality.

2 - Fahrenheit 451 (1953), by Ray Bradbury

Another great dystopian classic is "Fahrenheit 451", written by Ray Bradbury after the end of World War II. The book condemns the anti-intellectual oppression that occurred by the Nazis and the authoritarianism of the post-war world.

The work shows a totalitarian government, which forbids any kind of reading so that people don't rebel. In this reality, a fireman who works burning books, Guy Montag, finds himself dissatisfied with this context and, therefore, tries to change reality.

3 - The Handmaid's Tale (1985), by Margaret Atwood

This work by Margaret Atwood became even more famous after the series of the same name released in 2016. The story takes place in Gilead, which is a totally theocratic and totalitarian state in the then defunct country U.S.A. This new government aims to "restore order," so women have no rights and are divided into categories:

• wives;
• marthas;
• saviors;
• aias.

In fact, it is the maids who are the protagonists of this novel; they have the sole function of procreating. Among them, we meet June, named as Offred, who is taken away from her husband and daughter to serve a commander.

4 - Brave New World (1932), by Aldous Huxley

To end our list, we will talk about this classic work by Aldous Huxley. "Brave New World" is set in the London of 2540. The story anticipates the developments that occurred in the technological and scientific field at the time, especially in the areas of reproduction, psychological manipulation and classical conditioning .

In fact, when all this comes together, this evolution will radically transform the society we know.

Final considerations on utopia and dystopia

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