The premise of this course is that dystopias are extreme versions of our political fears. In other words, each dystopia is a different vision of politics gone wrong: 1) utopian projects pursued by totalitarian means; 2) the disintegration of politics and reversion to a Hobbesian law of the jungle; 3) existing political and social problems taken to their extreme (racism, sexism, class conflict and inequality, excessive corporate power, popular ignorance and manipulability); 4) regimes operating according to the exact opposite principles of contemporary morality; 5) an evil faction that has usurped power and exercises it for its own benefit.
For each work of dystopian fiction, the class will analyze the central political questions:
What went wrong? How did the dystopia emerge?
What is the purpose of the regime, of politics?
How is power exercised?
How does the regime remain in power, elicit consent?
What are the divisions within society, among groups? Which groups are victimized and why?
How do individuals find meaning in a dystopian world?
What are the possibilities for resisting or overthrowing dystopian regimes?
What are the political lessons or warnings of the dystopian tale?
The Junior Seminars are intense writing seminars which focus on the research area of the faculty member teaching the course. The seminars provide an opportunity for students to have direct intellectual interactions with faculty members while also giving the students an understanding for faculty research.
Junior seminars fulfill upper division requirements for the major.
Subfield:
Please apply by email to jlevy@berkeley.edu by October 22, 2024. Please provide a CV, transcript and a brief statement (one or two paragraphs) as to why they want to take the class and any relevant courses that they have taken.
Political Science Majors of Junior and Senior Status.