TEHRAN – American sociologist and economic historian Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein’s 1998 book “Utopistics: Or Historical Choices of the Twenty-First Century” has recently been published in Persian in Tehran.

Saad is the publisher of the book translated into Persian by Mohammad Ghafuri.

The twentieth century has witnessed both the triumphs and failures of the dreams that have informed the modern world. In “Utopistics”, Wallerstein argues that the global order that nourished those dreams is on the brink of disintegration.

Pointing to the globalization of commerce, the changing nature of work and the family, the failures of traditional liberal ideology, and the danger of profound environmental crises, the founder of world-systems analysis argues that the nation-state system no longer works.

The next twenty-five to fifty years will see the final breakdown of that system, and a time of great conflicts and disorder. It will also be a period in which individual and collective action will have a greater impact on the future than has been possible for 500 years.

“Utopistics” distills Wallerstein’s hugely influential work on the modern world-system in an accessible way. 

This fascinating and provocative look into our collective political destiny poses urgent questions for anyone concerned with social change in the next millennium.

Wallerstein is perhaps best known for his development of the general approach in sociology, which led to the emergence of his world-systems approach.

He was a senior research scholar at Yale University from 2000 until his death in 2019, and published bimonthly syndicated commentaries through Agence Global on world affairs from October 1998 to July 2019.

He was the 13th president of the International Sociological Association (1994–1998).
   
Photo: Front cover of the Persian translation of American historian Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein’s book “Utopistics”. 

MMS/YAW