If humans achieve a Utopian society, will they know it?

Let say that in 200 years, the human race become unified as one. There are no poor people, and everyone is happy. In essence, we have achieved a utopian society, in in that everyone is happy, peaceful, well-fed, etc. Will we know it? Will we try to keep the staus quo, or will we attempt to advance, and change it? Why or Why not?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The definition of Utopia will be different for all of us (mine involves lots of threesomes and not having to do my own laundry). That said, if we can end starvation, war, death, depression, oppression, and the Lifetime cable channel, you can be damn sure people will notice.

DaLovin’ Dj

By historical standarts, in our currrent western societies, we already ** are** living in Utopia. Not many seem to notice.

So, my answer to the OP is : no.

They will read the newspapers and be bored to tears.

Sorry, someone had to say it! :smiley:

Change is part of everything. Something in permanent stasis never did or never will exist in the coporeal world.

They may think that life 2 centuries ago must have been a real bitch compared to endless days on the beach front with vodka tonics gently balanced on the armrest of a deckchair.

But, sitting there in the Caribean evening breeze, they’ll still look up in the sky and say, “Hey, how come we never built that moon colony after all? I mean low gravity, how cool can it get. Imagine sipping a GT after a triple salto!”

clair seems to have it right.

New fears replace old ones. Today we are wary of the (relatively small) risks of pesticide residues on our food.

Fifty years ago, we feared smallpox. And in pre-antibiotic days, disease was a much greater hazard. (Recent viral scourges notwithstanding.)

Well, yes, it’s true and we’ve all seen it. In about 200 years, we’ll have achieved a society with no hunger or povery, and everyone will be happy. Especially the ones accepted by the Starfleet Academy!

Like was said before “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” We also have problems nobody even imagined we would have when these Utopians were postulating. Can we possibly be living in a Utopia if we have the power to destroy ourselves and may be doing it slowly and surely?

clairobscur’s reply is good. After hearing about some Edinburgh, Scotland history, I feel great. People had no plumbing/toilets at one time (in Edinburgh and probably in other places way back then), and they threw their waste from high story buildings.

I think we’ve always had this power.

Yeah, sure. Tell this to that homeless guy living in a packing case around the corner.

[sub]I understand even homeless people usually don’t die of starvation today, as they did centuries ago. But to me, “Utopia” also includes some degree of equality, and the tendency is towards more, not less, social discrepancies. And your concession “in western societies” says quite a lot about the World’s situation, so I’d say your POV is ways too optmistic.[/sub]

      • Schnitte (who doesn’t get away from a certain socialist attitude)

C’mmon schnitte. I’ve been accused myself of “not getting away from a certain socialist attitude” from time to time. 'Cause these day, whether you’re in Europe or North America, it’s an accusation :wink: But, you have to agree that clairobscur is in some respect right.

Measured by pure biological standards (average health and age), contemporary Western societies far beat the scale compaired to past societies. If you don’t believe in some long lost wonderland Atlantis, the average Joe Schmo hasn’t been this well off since Adam left the garden.

I agree completely, ethnicallynot, but I still deny that Western societies are perfect. There is poverty, believe me.

Western society is about as perfect as humanity will have it, barring some really significant technological advances. (Nanotech, genetic engineering, fusion power, etc). As long as there is a ‘cost’ associated with production, there will be ‘poor’ people.
Having said that, I will re-re-re-echo the sentiment: Utopia is in the eye of the beholder. My veiw of a perfect world involves large-scale glorious battles, winged monkeys, and the proclomation of ME as Emperor of One and All. I bet your view of a perfect world differs.