Whether one has socialism or libertarianism in mind, political thought often lends itself to imagining utopic societies organized around a core set of values. However, are these imagined futures simply a product of wishful thinking? Can we be too caught up in the promises of theory to see beyond our rose-colored glasses? Or are these utopias real objects to aim for, despite how far away they may seem?

Can we rid ourselves of wishful thinking in our political beliefs? How do ideological structures affect our political desires? How does Foucault's ideas on genealogy play into our politics as individuals? Raymond Geuss explains the role of political realism to keep ourselves in check in this episode of Philosophy Bites. 

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Have an opinion on political utopias that you'd like to share? Let us hear it in the comments!

Perhaps wishful thinking is just built into the way we think? If you want to know more about how the workings of our minds affect our politics, check out our episode, Politics and Cognitive Science.