Beyond anti-utopia: towards the labour of freedom

This thesis is a research project in political theory that employs Ernst Bloch’s (1986) ‘utopian ontology of becoming’ to present a different orientation to the contemporary socio-political conjuncture. It describes this latter, whether still predominantly Neoliberal or tending towards a different configuration of capitalism - or a syncretism of both - as ‘anti-utopian’ in its effects, despite the proclamations to the contrary that were made by its proponents at its outset, suggesting that a utopian future is ante portas. This thesis operates from within the utopian studies, and it makes use of Ruth Levitas’ (2013) ‘utopian method’ called the ‘Imaginary Reconstitution of Society’ (‘IROS’) that prescribes a multidisciplinary approach to the matter. ‘IROS’ consists of three distinct but interrelated modes of articulation that thus give expression to this multidimensionality. Concretely, the ‘Ontological’ mode that interrogates the meaning of ‘being’ within specific socio-historical circumstances; the ‘Archaeological’ that navigates the field of the already existing alternatives to the current state of affairs; and the ’Architectural’ that proposes a different institutional setting to the prevailing one. Since Levitas advocates a comprehensive overhaul of the abiding socio-political conditions, this thesis regards the institution of ‘work’ as the most apt vehicle in this regard. ‘Work’ is considered as that vector of change whose reconceptualization and redeployment could mediate an extensive societal reorganization towards human liberation. Thus, this thesis seeks to promulgate an alternative work-ethic that could possibly be mediated through a different institutional setting as well. Its overall contribution to knowledge consists in putting Levitas’ ‘IROS’ into effect for the first time, so at to ascertain the expediency of the ‘utopian method’ for both political theory and praxis.