Synopsis "Visions of Utopia: A Political Theory Anthology (in English)"
Visions of Utopia: A Political Theory Anthology approaches political theory through analysis of the modern ideologies that shape our experience of the world today. The reading selections shed light on the significant utopian elements in political theory as a whole as well as the "non-utopian" traditions that have dominated modern political and moral discourse. The anthology features the writing of seminal political thinkers including Plato and Aristotle, Thomas More, Marx and Engels, Locke, Rousseau, Adam Smith, and Thomas Hobbes. More recent political thought is represented by George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, and B.F. Skinner. Students become familiar with communitarianism and the utopian universe, liberal and conservative reactions to utopianism, the feminist, environmentalist, and dystopian views of utopianism. Organized and designed from a utopian methodological perspective, Vision of Utopiais well-suited to introductory courses in political theory, philosophy, and global studies. Jasper Sumner III completed his graduate studies at the University of Oklahoma and is a trustee lecturer in the School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University. Professor Sumner has taught courses in contemporary political philosophy, introductory political theory, classical political thought, and utopian thought. His writing has appeared in the Indiana Journal of Political Science and Governance, and he has been a presenter at the Society for Utopian Studies, the Southwestern Social Science Association, the Western Political Science Association, and the Midwest Political Science Association.
