Science, myth and utopia

Roslynn Haynes

pp. 8-22

in: Kath Filmer (ed), Twentieth-century fantasists, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 1992

Abstract

Insofar as it embodies the myth of progress, the dream of utopia is arguably the most characteristic, certainly the most appropriate, literary expression of a scientific culture. Yet it is not surprising that the twentieth century, plagued by two World Wars and a succession of escalating regional conflicts, by totalitarian regimes and existential Angst, has been more notable for its deeply pessimistic dystopias than for its utopian visions. Scientific method and reductionism, which encourage the refuting of propositions and promote cynicism about ideals and values, have further deterred many writers from utopian fantasy which depends on positing viable alternatives to the actual, and hence involves genuine creativity de novo. It has been much easier — and more intellectually respectable — to envision dystopias which require merely selective extrapolation from actuality.