The Utopian Impulse and Searching for the Kingdom of God: Ludwik Królikowski’s (1799–1879) Romantic Utopianism in Transnational Perspective

Abstract

This article addresses the question of the utopian impulse in Ludwik Królikowski’s work and thought, with particular reference to its transnational dimension. By providing a holistic view of his entire life and sketching his biographical background, this study reveals Królikowski’s principal inspirations and the reasons for his changes of mind, and in so doing, presents him against the background of various intersecting currents of thought. With regard to Królikowski’s utopianism, it is argued that he rejected the canons typical for Renaissance and Enlightenment reflections on the ideal state, in which visions of spotless, well-organized cities dominated. The Polish thinker was instead interested in Christianity and extolled spontaneous human activities, which would be in accordance with the will of God only if they were pursued freely, without any coercion. As analysis of his works reveals, he expounded a vision of utopia (primarily called “the Kingdom of God”) beyond time and space, without any consideration of the material conditions for its existence. In developing his views, Królikowski was inspired by Saint-Simonism, the Icarian movement, and ongoing discussions of the Polish and Slavic questions. These three main dimensions, interwoven with intermittent failures and reflections embarked upon anew, constituted the intellectual space in which his unique propositions were made.