Utopias are thought experiments and critical reflections of historical reality at the same time. This introduction provides an overview of the history of utopia and presents its most important designs as well as its essential characteristics, goals, and functions. In this way, a clear and well-defined picture emerges of one of the most influential currents of thought in the Western tradition, ranging from the ancient myths of the Golden Age to the terrifying visions and ecological and feminist models of the 20th century. Among those discussed are Plato, Joachim of Fiore, Thomas More, Francis Bacon, Tommaso Campanella, J. G. Schnabel, William Morris, and George Orwell.