Social Criticism: From Utopia to Post-utopian Thought

The article deals with social criticism and its ideals that undergo transformation in the situation of mass media society (with its unification tendencies as well as pluralism in views and approaches to reality). Contemporary critics are characterized first of all by their sensitivity to language, its ideological power, complexity and possibilities for mutual understanding. On the one hand, contemporary critical discourse avoids utopian intentions of liberation from imperfect society; on the other hand, it uses post-utopian images of ideal talk to other people which is supposed to make some micro, but essential changes in their attitudes and relations.