Critica della ragione "mal riposta". Scetticismo e utopia in "Erewhon" di Samuel Butler

Abstract

This article explores the intertwining of scepticism and utopia in Samuel Butler’s novel Erewhon. It analyses how Butler employs utopian and dystopian elements to critique 19th-century European society and its ideological cult of progress. The essay investigates the satirical inversions within Erewhon, where societal norms are upended, and physical illness is treated as a crime while moral failings are seen as a disease. By comparing Erewhon to both utopian and dystopian traditions, and drawing parallels with Montaigne’s scepticism, the article argues that Butler uses the novel to question the foundations of Western thought and the nature of human reason, urging readers to critically examine their own cultural assumptions and values.