ABSTRACT
The simple, decent human rationality of utopianism lays bare the flaws in the existing world system. It can expose the mismanagement and irrationality of growthism by asking simple questions about equality, sustainability and our future goals. Ernest Callenbach’s Ecotopia may lack some of Le Guin’s soaring imagination and philosophical largesse, but this critically overlooked novel is hard to beat as a detailed fictional account of a circular economy in action. It reveals a society that is inspired by nature and thriving on equitability and wellbeing, in which the power of love can transform the most entrenched attitudes. Sustainability is at the forefront of Ecotopia’s economy of balance. Ecotopia is a multi-party democracy, but its political system is dominated by the Survivalist Party, which led the Ecotopian revolution. Ecotopians enjoy an exceptionally high standard of health, in part because of their outdoor lifestyle and unpolluted environment, but also because they are supported by a personalized healthcare system.
