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Utopia
(363 words)

[German Version]

The word utopia was coined by T. More in 1516, though utopias were already discussed in substance in antiquity. The term means a theoretical or belletristic conception of an ideal configuration or improvement of human life based on rational or religious principles, often with the presumption of advancing technology (positive utopias). Negative utopias, common since the 20th century (e.g. George Orwell and Aldous Huxley), caution against the unforeseeable consequences of such experiments.

A utopia claims a conceptual wealh that transcends reality. Cont…

Cite this page
Heesch, Matthias, “Utopia”, in: Religion Past and Present. Consulted online on 28 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_SIM_026252>
First published online: 2011
First print edition: ISBN: 9789004146662, 2006-2013



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