Description
Book SynopsisThis book examines conceptions of human nature and how such ideas impact the political arrangements in the works ofThomas More, Edward Bellamy, Aldous Huxley, and George Orwell. By teasing out the underlying conceptions of human nature in these novels, this book links the ontology of their works directly to their political prescriptions.
Trade ReviewHuman Nature and Politics in Utopian and Anti-Utopian Fiction is more than a book about idealistic and pessimistic fictional writers. Bagchi skillfully considers whether human nature is a guide or a straight jacket for deciding how best to act. If nature does not direct choice, are we wise enough to construct a good society or will unrestrained freedoms lead to horrifying results? As Bagchi points out, the answers to these questions will decide our political destiny. -- James Pontuso, Hampden-Sydney College
Bagchi’s dispassionate analysis of utopian and dystopian fiction shows how these genres help us better understand ourselves. Utopias reflect humanity’s perennial quest for a harmonious and stable world—a world quite unlike our own. Dystopias chasten utopian hopes, insisting on the recalcitrance of human nature and its resistance to the social engineering necessary to pursue utopia. For Bagchi, the worlds created by More, Bellamy, Huxley, Orwell, and Le Guin are so many invitations to consider the deepest questions of human nature and politics. -- Sara Henary, Missouri State University
Bagchi provokes readers of utopias/dystopias to describe and evaluate how their authors have framed what people are made of and are capable of as a subject of intense interest and interdisciplinary heft. Using classic texts and deep insights in political science, philosophy, and psychology, she provides an indispensable analytical structure for reconsidering all texts on the utopian/anti-utopian/dystopia continuum. As this genre (broadly considered) of texts grows in number and importance to readers and viewers in our current era of critique of what is and what can be, her approach is rich, revelatory, and critical to students and teachers. -- Kim McCollum-Clark, Millersville University
Table of ContentsChapter One: The Imperfection of Utopia: The Combination of Reason and Religion in Thomas More Chapter Two: The Mutability of Human Nature in Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward Chapter Three: Technology and Human Nature in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World Chapter Four: The Totalitarian State and Human Nature in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four
