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 ist in Istanbul, Türkei, geboren und aufgewachsen. Er studierte Politikwissenschaft und öffentliche Verwaltung in französischer und englischer Sprache an der Marmara-Universität, dem Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Lyon und der Universitat Pompeu Fabra, bevor er den MA NTS-Studiengang an der Universität Münster absolvierte. Nachdem er zuvor über staatenlose nationalistische Bewegungen und Friedensprozesse zwischen Staaten und Guerillabewegungen geschrieben hatte, fand er seine akademische Berufung an der Schnittstelle von Literatur und politischer Philosophie an der GSPoL.