''The Principle of Hope'' (german: Das Prinzip Hoffnung) is a book by the Marxist philosopher

Ernst Bloch Ernst Simon Bloch (; July 8, 1885 – August 4, 1977; pseudonyms: Karl Jahraus, Jakob Knerz) was a German Marxist philosopher. Bloch was influenced by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Karl Marx, as well as by apocalyptic and religious thinkers ...

, published in three volumes in 1954, 1955, and 1959, in which the author explores

utopianism A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia'', describing a fictional island society ...

, studying the utopian impulses present in art, literature, religion and other forms of cultural expression, and envisages a future state of absolute perfection. ''The Principle of Hope'' has become fundamental to dialogue between Christians and Marxists.

Background

Originally written between 1938 and 1947 in the United States, an enlarged and revised version of ''The Principle of Hope'' was published successively in three volumes in 1954, 1955, and 1959. Bloch, who had emigrated to the United States in 1938, returned to Europe in 1949 and became a Professor of Philosophy in

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

. Despite having initially supported the regime, Bloch came under attack for his philosophical unorthodoxy and support for greater cultural freedom in East Germany, and publication of ''The Principle of Hope'' was delayed for political reasons.

Reception

The philosopher

Leszek Kołakowski Leszek Kołakowski (; ; 23 October 1927 – 17 July 2009) was a Polish philosopher and historian of ideas. He is best known for his critical analyses of Marxist thought, especially his three-volume history, '' Main Currents of Marxism'' (1976 ...

calls ''The Principle of Hope'' Bloch's

magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

, writing that it contains all his important ideas. The work has been described as "monumental" by the philosopher Robert S. Corrington and the psychoanalyst Joel Kovel.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Principle Of Hope, The 1954 non-fiction books 1955 non-fiction books 1959 non-fiction books Books by Ernst Bloch Contemporary philosophical literature German-language books German non-fiction books Marxist works Social philosophy literature Philosophy of religion literature Utopian theory