Here I articulate the method of utopian critique as a structured process of social analysis and imaginative projection. I define four essential steps: (1) the critical analysis of social reality; (2) the identification of internal, practical contradictions; (3) the imaginative reversal of those contradictions into alternative practices; and (4) the formulation of realistic and transformative pathways for implementation. This method preserves utopia’s critical edge while rooting it in concrete conditions and rational feasibility. I further explore the notion of practical contradiction, showing how oppressive systems—like capitalism—fail by their own logic, not just moral standards. Finally, I introduce the principle of respect as the normative rule guiding utopian imagination: respect as the recognition of the autonomy and agency of others, grounding political action in the ethics of mutual empowerment. Utopian critique, thus understood, does not fantasize an unreachable ideal, but illuminates real possibilities for liberation, one contradiction at a time.