Another world is necessary and possible: Andean utopia and law A view from Cien años de soledad and La caverna

Abstract

Utopia has several meanings, many of them contradictory and applicable to different situations. In this essay utopia will be understood as a possibility of a different and better world, which is real, exists and is possible. Utopias can also be negative and positive. A negative utopia is the hegemonic one and revolves around the capitalism, which organizes not only the economy but a way of living. A positive utopia is the one that emerges from many forms of life and practices of indigenous peoples and occurs in the Andean world, and that could be based on the concepts of Sumak Kawsay and Pachamama. To explain the negative and positive utopia will be used two important works of contemporary literature, Cien años de Soledad by García Márquez, which reflects the hegemonic modernity and ends in a pathetic and desolate loneliness, thanks to capitalism. At the other end we use La caverna by Saramago to explain some principles of Andean coexistence. In this novel, through its characters, we try to demonstrate that different coexistence forms to the hegemonic one exists and are in resistance, that is, they are a real and positive utopia, and shows that another world is possible and necessary.