Utopia of love, industry and knowledge. The ideals of Czech society in the middle of the 19th century
Abstract
The chapter focuses especially on the situation in the 1840s, which was a period when the idea of the future of Czech society emerged. For the first time, questions concerning the meaning of existence of the Czech nation and goals towards which it proceeded were being asked.
First theoretical projects and projections of future came into existence at this point (Amerling, Purkyně, Klácel, Smetana). The vagueness of these ideas was in stark contrast with Bolzano's treatise On the Best State; however, the influence of this essay in the Czech environment was very limited.
In spite of their shortcomings and limitations, manifestations of utopianism in the Czech society survived the year 1848 and in fictional stylisation (Kolár, Sabina), we encounter them up to the early 1860s, when Czech society gained space for independent political formulations of its future.