The selections in Imperfect Ideal: Utopian and Dystopian Visions illustrate the best and worst of what can happen when we attempt to mold the complex communities in which we live into our vision of a perfect state. All 23 selections in this anthology challenge readers to question how society should be structured and governed, as well as what kinds of communities are most conducive to human fulfillment, both privately and in the civic arena.Table of ContentsThe Ones Who Walk Away from OmelasUrsula K. Le GuinUtopia*Thomas MoreUtopiaWislawa SzymborskaIliad*HomerThe Shield of AchillesW. H. AudenA Paradise Built in Hell*Rebecca SolnitTimeRiichi YokomitsuOn the CannibalsMichel de MontaigneThe Dream of a Ridiculous ManFyodor DostoevskyMencius*MenciusThe Politics*AristotleA Framework for UtopiaRobert NozickThe City of God*AugustineThe Jewish State*Theodor HerzlA New View of Society*Robert OwenThe Soul of Man Under SocialismOscar WildeThe Economic Basics of the Withering Away of the StateVladimir LeninWeYevgeny ZamyatinThe Machine StopsE. M. ForsterBlack BoxJennifer EganJonGeorge SaundersTime Capsule Found on a Dead PlanetMargaret AtwoodSilent Spring*Rachel Carson*Indicates a selection from a longer work.