The story of utopias by Lewis Mumford
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"The Story of Utopias" by Lewis Mumford is a critical examination of utopian thought, showcasing its evolution and significance throughout history, likely written in the early 20th century. The text engages with various ideal commonwealths and expresses how these constructs influence humanity's vision of a better life. Rather than focusing solely on fictional narratives, it intertwines philosophical discourse with historical accounts, thereby demonstrating the relevance of utopia in shaping societal values and
structures. At the start of Mumford's exploration, he introduces the concept of utopia as a necessary counterpart to the realities of human existence, highlighting the dual worlds people inhabit: the practical and the ideal. He elaborates on how the desire for a utopian society inspires individuals to seek change and improvement in their environment. Mumford also reflects on the importance of ideas, presenting them as pivotal to human progress and illustrating how dreams of utopia often stem from societal crises. In this initial section, he establishes a framework for understanding utopian ideals as both a refuge from the harshness of reality and a motivation for societal reconstruction. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Mumford, Lewis, 1895-1990 |
|---|---|
| Author of introduction, etc. | Van Loon, Hendrik Willem, 1882-1944 |
| Title | The story of utopias |
| Original Publication | London: George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., 1923. |
| Credits | Hannah Wilson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 48.4 (College-level). Difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | HX: Social sciences: Socialism, Communism, Anarchism |
| Subject | Utopias |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 75654 |
| Release Date | Mar 18, 2025 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 620 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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