Literature and Social Thought: L'Utopie Littéraire

For centuries literary utopias have been considered a means to reinvent the world's ideal desires/values. We will attempt to understand the role utopian texts have played in shaping the imaginary of generations of people in Europe, particularly in France. Entire texts or excerpts from novels, essays, cartoons or films by Campanella, Voltaire, Marivaux, Mercier, and others will be discussed.