Utopia o distopia? Bloch e Anders a confronto

Abstract

Although the concept of «utopia» is often seen in a purely positive light, it actually carries a dialectical tension, particularly evident in the philosophies of Ernst Bloch and Günther Anders. In fact, Bloch emphasizes the «Principle of Hope», viewing utopia as a concrete and transformative force, able to orient humanity toward a better future. For him, utopia is not abstract fantasy, but a historically grounded «philosophy of praxis» that opens an «ontology of the not-yet» as a vision of what could come to be. In contrast, Anders focuses on the despair arising from modern technological threats, such as nuclear annihilation, within what he terms the «End Time». His concept of utopia is negative: an «heuristics of fear» that reflects on the dangers of unchecked progress and human obsolescence. Together, these perspectives highlight utopia’s dual nature: hopeful and desperate. This duality is crucial in addressing today’s major crises, such as ecological collapse and post-colonial struggles. Today, thinkers like Achille Mbembe build on Bloch’s legacy, proposing the idea of a «liberation of the living». Yet, this ambition remains uncertain, reflecting the core ambiguity of utopian thought: will Earth be humanity’s final utopia or its mausoleum?