Pathfinder: Utopian Studies and American Utopian Societies

Pocock, Emil. “Utopian Communities.” American Studies. 30 Aug. 2004. Eastern Connecticut State University. 25 March 2006. http://www.easternct.edu/depts/amerst/utopia.htm>.

This site was created by Professor Emil Pocok, who teaches History and American Studies at Eastern Connecticut State University. This gateway site was intended to go along with his seminar class “Utopian America.” As opposed to the other gateway sites listed, this webpage focuses only on Utopian societies in America. It provides links to many websites of Utopian communities, dividing them into Shakers, Harmonists, and other Utopian communities. In addition, the site provides links to the websites of museums and organizations dealing with Utopian societies, such as the Shaker Historical Museum.

“Related Links.” Utopia. 2000. New York Public Library. 25 March 2006. http://utopia.nypl.org/links.html>.

This site is part of an exhibit put on by the New York Public Library entitled Utopia: The Search for an Ideal Society in the Western World. The library provides a masterful list of web links, including several general and gateway sites. The page goes on to list links on antique traditions, proposed Utopias, history on Utopian thinkers and societies, Utopian thought in the twentieth century, Utopian societies that only exist online, and books, articles, and publications available online.

Robbins, Richard H. “WWW Resources on Alternative and Utopian Communities.” Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism. 29 Nov. 2002. University of Pittsburgh. 25 March 2006. http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/richard.robbins/legacy/utopia_www_resources.html>.

This list of sites was compiled by Dr. Richard Robbins, a distinguished professor of anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh. It is part of a companion website to a textbook he wrote, Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism. Although the links emphasize Christian alternative societies, they still give access to a wealth of information about American Utopian societies. The site includes links to a number of primary source documents, like “The Shaker’s Compendium,” as well as links to a number of modern-day Utopian communities.

“Utopian Links.” 26 May 2004. The Society for Utopian Studies. 25 March 2006. http://www.utoronto.ca/utopia/links.html>.

This site, maintained by the University of Toronto’s respected Society for Utopian Studies, gives a number of worthwhile links relating to Utopian societies, Utopian studies, and Utopian philosophy. One or two of the links no longer work, but the majority of the links are still usable. The page includes links to other Utopian societies, academic web pages, and sites detailing the work of Utopian philosophers like B.F. Skinner and Sir Thomas More.

Will, John. “Utopia on the Internet.” Utopian Philosophy. 2006. 25 March 2006. http://users.erols.com/jonwill/utopialist.htm>.

This gateway site is part of the personal website of John Will, a lawyer who is also the author of several books on how to achieve a modern-day Utopia, collectively called The Ultimate Philosophy. The numerous links given are generally of interest to a Utopian scholar. Will provides links to Utopian organizations, various online books by Utopian philosophers like Edward Bellamy and Plato, online essays on Utopia, and numerous links to the websites of Utopian and quasi-Utopian societies existing today.