Utopia and utopic ideas in social reality

The article considers the phenomenon of social utopia from the perspective of social cognition, social theorizing, and practical realization of utopian ideals in society. We did not aim at studying semantic shifts in the definition of the term "utopia". Using the approach developed by E. Ya. Batalov and other domestic philosophers in the field of genesis and development of utopia, its forms, types of utopian consciousness, we singled out and analyzed such aspects of utopias as rationalization and technicalization. Utopias and utopian ideas play an important role in social reality, especially in crunch, pre-revolutionary or revolutionary periods. Western utopians offer rational forms of human being together, seek ways to form ideal social relations, substantiate such values as freedom, equality, human dignity.