History and Utopia
History and Utopia (French: Histoire et utopie) is a 1960 book by Emil Cioran, which analyzes the vices and virtues of utopia.
 Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | Emil Cioran |
|---|---|
| Original title | Histoire et utopie |
| Language | French |
| Publisher | Gallimard |
Publication date | 1960 |
Published in English | 1987 |
Contents
Cioran hypothesizes that man isn't able to live with his fellow men, and that is in his nature to isolate those around him, and thereby, he has to make an effort to live with others in society. Because of this, he needs to design a utopia, which could represent a consolation for the most unhappy men. Thus, according to Cioran, a community can subsist only by creating and maintaining these fictions.
In his conclusion, Cioran doesn't present utopia as a useless dream, but rather as a way of developing new prospects. Notwithstanding that, Cioran reveals all of his pessimism by affirming at last that utopia is just unleashing a community's energies, and any development or excess puts freedom at risk.