Uchronia

Definition and Concept

In 1857, the French philosopher Charles Renouvier published a book titled "Uchronie (L'Utopie dans l'histoire). Esquisse historique apocryphe du développement de la civilisation européenne tel qu'il n'a pas été, tel qu'il aurait pu être". While the general background and the purpose of the book is rather in political and history-related philosophy, Renouvier makes use of a fiction – a historical report and reflection around a fictive middle age written by a likewise fictive author – to develop his thoughts and arguments.

The term "Uchronie" coined by him is a neologism from the terms "utopia" and "chronos" (instead of "topos"), and this is of course also for its English translation and equivalent "Uchronia", both and especially the latter also triggering the association to Thomas Morus' "Utopia" from 1516. Thus, "Uchronia" refers to a period of time that does not exist and has not existed – yet can be imagined, be it as an imaginary future, an imaginary present or an imaginary past.

Nowadays it is usually applied to the latter and associated to fiction (be it in literature, film, or other media), and especially to fictions of an alternate past that consequently led to a completely different development of history compared to that known as "the" history of humankind. This genre has a considerably long tradition and is far older than Renouvier's term "Uchronie" and its English equivalent translation, "Uchronia". Among the earliest examples known is a passage in Titus Livius' (Livy's) "Ab Urbe Condita" (ca. 27-25 BC) imagining the historical consequences of an attack of Alexander the Great against Rome, and up to the present a vast number of more or less prominent examples could be added to an ever ongoing list of contributions. Not all of them, but many are characterized by political reflections.

However, inventing fictions of alternate histories is just one possible way think about and to deal with notions of [Alternate Time(s)] (see ibid.). Especially for longer periods of [Untime], iit will be more appropriate to use the term "Uchrony" (see ibid.).

Related entries:
[Alternate Time(s)]
[Anachronism]
Time Machines (work in progress)
Time Travel (work in progress)
[Uchrony]
[Untime]
…

tag: time