Nowhere/Somewhere Better Than This: The Critique of Neoliberal Ideology in Marxist and Anarchist Utopian Texts
The aim of this PhD project is to examine the critique of neoliberal ideology within Marxist and anarchist utopian texts by providing a close reading of selected examples of utopian fiction with and against the texts of political philosophy regarding ideology and utopia. The dissertation will include a broad discussion concerning the notions of neoliberalism, ideology and utopia, and it will provide a mutually enriching perspective of reading fiction and non-fiction together. Considering that neoliberalism is a phenomenon that permeates into all aspects of our existence, the debate that surrounds it is of vital importance for both academia and society. Thus, the literary and cultural aspect of this debate, as well as the philosophical and political one, holds a considerable amount of significance and merits a very thorough study. The contribution of this study will be to supply the reader with a broader outlook on this debate, since the concepts of utopia and dystopia and their dialectical interplay will also be viewed under a critical lens. I will also see how Marxist and anarchist utopian texts can be used to provide a critical comment towards the establishment of contemporary neoliberal ideology.
Can Çakır was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. He studied political science and public administration in French and English at Marmara University, Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Lyon and Universitat Pompeu Fabra before graduating from the MA NTS program at the University of Münster. Having previously written about stateless nationalist movements and peace processes between states and guerrilla movements, he found his academic calling at the intersection of literature and political philosophy at the GSPoL.