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American Utopian Communities

The Shakers, the Oneida Community, the Amana Colonies, New Harmony, Roycroft, Buxton, Arcosanti, Bruderhof, Drop City, the Twin Oaks Commune, Telosa: all of these past, present, or planned but never realized American communities reflect an intention to create utopias that will cure certain ills plaguing the larger society. Some of these utopian communities were based on idiosyncratic religious doctrines, some on bold economic theories, some on visions of social harmony, some on artistic commitment, some on technological innovation. We will ask: What was the thinking behind these efforts to create a paradise on earth? In what ways did they succeed? In what ways did they fail? How did they have, or hope to have, a positive effect on American society?

Instructor: Richard Voigt

Four sessions, Mondays, Oct. 26, Nov. 2, 9, 16, 6:30–8:30, at the Wasch Center