Possible Worlds, Eutopias and Dystopias in some Contemporary Fictional Universes
Abstract
In this article, I examine the Possible Worlds Theory and its application to contemporary fictional universes, specifically focusing on eutopias and dystopias. I trace the historical development of the Theory from the 1970s. The Theory, emerging from formal logic and analytic philosophy, presents an alternative to binary thinking by considering all as fiction. I critique David Lewis’s approach, which eliminates hierarchies between real and fictional worlds, and instead propose to analyze alternative fictions, particularly counterfactuals, fantasy, and science fiction, from their relation to the real world and their moral dimensions. The study contrasts utopias and dystopias, suggesting the use of “eutopia” and “cacotopia” for better and worse states than the current world. I explore whether these alternative fictions challenge or reinforce the boundary between reality and fiction. Through the analysis of works like Laurent Binet’s Civilizations and Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem, I investigate the role of play in these narratives and their implications for understanding contemporary culture’s obsession with alternative worlds.
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