Utopian Thinking and Political Action Now

Marxists disagree about the relations between utopian thinking and political action. One tradition, represented best by Theodor Adorno, warns of the dangers of trying to fight for the realization of utopian imaginings; the other tradition demands strategic, practical, collective mobilizing for change. In literary and cultural studies today, Adorno’s case against political action is the one that prevails. In our own historical moment, however, the fossil fuel profiteers, trying to make us believe that they are all-powerful and unstoppable, have poured millions of dollars into persuading the public to avoid taking action on climate change. This essay makes a case for taking action toward the realization of partial utopias.