Is there a relation between Utopia and
Acceleration? And both of them with the future? How we can think the modern
notion of utopia related with a notion of acceleration? Are they in fact linked
with a conception of future?
As it is well-known the Geschichtliche Grundbegriffe is a project particularly focused into
define the fundamental concepts of Modernity. Two of these concepts identified
by Reinhart Koselleck are Utopia and Acceleration. In simply terms Utopia is a
crucial concept in at least 3 levels: a) political because it is the emergence
of a new world possible, b) historical in terms of speech that must be oriented
to the History in the future (not the past as in the Historia magistrae vitae); and c) temporal because all this
concluding in an increasing of speed in order to reach a World conception similar
to the utopia, that creates conditions for that some scholars have called
acceleration (Virilio 2012; Rosa 2013; Avenessian & Mackay 2014). On the
other hand, acceleration is understood by Koselleck as consequence progressive
increases of frequencies of change. In this sense acceleration is related with
structural conditions of modern history.
In this respect, there are a group of several
writings in which Reinhart Koselleck (2002; 2006; 2012) describes the main
characters of the utopia and acceleration separately as crucial concepts of
Modern Times. The utopia it is described as a projection of new and better
society inside the future. Meanwhile acceleration is understanding as
progressive increase of frequencies of change, results in a temporalization of the
history, particularly in a futurization one. At this point emerges the first
point of convergence between them: both utopia and acceleration concludes in a
futurization of history.
However, Koselleck´s approach has not its focus in
the possible mutual implications on these 2 concepts. At least, the relation
among them was not attended as principal issue. Following a couple of
emblematic texts from conceptual history on this (Hölscher 1999; Koselleck
2006) we propose to explore the relation between the emergency of a utopian
conception of the history and the acceleration of different processes as
consequence of purposes for a better society(ies) into the future. Believing in
a better future that can be reached by precise efforts, utopia promotes a
fruitful environment for an acceleration of sociohistorical processes.
Shortly, the hypothesis with we will work is the
following: there is no acceleration process possible without a utopian notion,
and this have not just severe consequences in compression of History, but in
political terms, i.e. as temporalization of promises for better societies on
the future (as utopia), but as soon as possible (in terms of acceleration).
