Category Archives: Philosophy

Utopia is a word derived from the Greek prefix “οὐ (ou-), not,” and “τόπος (topos) – place,” with the suffix “-iā (-ία)” that is a typical ending of the place names (toponym). Utopia literally means “nowhere.” Also, Utopia can be interpreted with the Greek prefix “eu-, good”; a good place.

Utopia is not an actual Greek word. Thomas More introduced the word in his book “Libellus vere aureus, nec minus salutaris quam festivus, de optimo rei publicae statu deque nova insula Utopia” in 1516. As the name suggests, Utopia (No Place) can be a place that might not be actualized in the real world. But our interest in a dream world has never been subdued despite its impracticality. Political thinkers and philosophers have pursued to show how the world of perfection looks like or can be achieved. It is no wonder that Utopia or Dystopia is a recurring theme of SF novels as well.

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