Sorry if this is a repetitive topic, but I haven’t been to these boards for very long. I just thought that this might be an interesting concept to debate (I’m a philosophy nut!). What do you guys think?
Jessica
Yes, it would be interesting!
Now that I’ve answered the question, why don’t you go and open a topic to discuss it?
This has been discussed, I think, but I’m lazy. Anyone care to provide a link?
I think that Utopia is possible. Utopia is when everyone worships me as a god and sees to my every need.
That’s Utopia for ME, never mind how anyone else fares.
Oh sorry dude, I thought you meant Todd Rundgren’s band. Never mind.
No. But that shouldn’t stop us from trying to get close.
The best lack all conviction
The worst are full of passionate intensity.
*
Sure, but it depends on how you define it, i.e. not in the classical sense. I could see a very small, select Utopia. Reading this board is a good reminder of one person’s heaven being another’s hell. We disagree on everything from city vs. suburb vs. country to freedom of vs. freedom from. I can’t see any Utopia besides a very fluid one.
Sure. But first we need to genetically engineer all humans to be exactly the same. Because as long as one person is stronger or smarter than another, he will find ways to take advantage of that fact.
The IQ of a group is equal to the IQ of the dumbest member divided by the number of people in the group.
I think a small Utopian community comprised of a self-selected group of citizens could work. Could, and does. They exist all over the world, and are commonly referred to as “communes.”
As far as Utopia on the national level goes, I think history has shown quite clearly that it’s ultimately unworkable. See: USSR, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, CUBA.
For a good quasi-scientific view on the functional aspects of small, self-selected utopian communities wihout genetic engineering, see B.F. Skinner’s “Walden Two.”
Absolutely impossible. We are nothing like ants or termites, who can work together to reach common goals of survival and dominance. We are selfish, territorial and violent - all of us will never be happy (hell, I doubt 10% of us are even close to content).
Aibohphobia, what are you doing to help us achieve utopia?
I don’t think that a Utopia would actually be possible because, in my experience, it seems that homosapiens is not content unless there is some form of strife somewhere to handle or get involved with. Either there is a squabble of some sort going on or there are new lands and dangers to explore and investigate.
I read once where people were relocated out of a violent and crime ridden neighborhood, Hells Kitchen I think it was called, but most returned because they found living in more peaceful areas too boring. From reading some of the subjects placed here on this board and the replies made, it seems to me that people like to argue which I think is a good indication to why Utopia probably would fail.
Well, all of you seem to assume a Utopia is necessarilly socialist. Is it? I certainly don’t think so.
Personally, I don’t think that utopia is possible. Society is not capable of reaching absolute perfection–there will always be obstacles. And even if it were possible to achieve a state of utopia, wouldn’t it become boring after some time? If everything is perfect, nothing needs improvement, so nobody has to work towards any goals–everything has already been achieved. People would become bored or lazy with this system, and utopia would fail.
Jessica
One more point I should add:
If utopia becomes boring, it isn’t utopia anymore, is it?
I think it’s impossible.
Jessica
Melatonin-
"see B.F. Skinner’s “Walden Two.”
I read the book and I always wanted to talk to someone else who did. What do you think about it?
I think it sounds like a great place to live, but I have a few problems with it. The part where it is explained that a kids first relationship is often the one they marry and have children with, many times at age 15 or 16…now, kids mature and grown, does anyone here wish they could have married their first girlfriend/boyfriend? Also, the fact that everyone is raised by the community rather than their birth parents bothers me too. I don’t know if it’s just because I wasn’t raised by a group, but I think this is a little sick. Who is emotionaly invested in a problem child? I agree that many of the parents of this world don’t know how to raise children but I have reservations about letting strangers do it. If your raised by the group, educated by the group, punished by the group doesn’t this take away individuality? What if the group decided something that you didn’t want to do? Where could you turn for help?
I thought of the borg when I read it, what do you guys think?
Aibohphobia and LadyLust:
Here’s another thought. If a family lived by themselves in the woods and they could make everything they needed and cut off from the outside world, I think they would be happy and content. I agree that humans are combative and the more you have in one spot the more arguments you will have, but how about just a few, somewhere, living without restraints put on by outside communities?
If it isn’t possible to have a few happy people together and getting along we have no hope.
I actually haven’t looked at the book in about 10 yrs. (That’s not completely accurate, since it’s sitting on my desk right now, but I haven’t read it in a long time.)
I’ll get back to you after I write my MA thesis, kay? Right now I’m prohibited by academic unction from thinking/writing about any utopian literature outside of the Russian canon. . .
Er…I may be wrong here, but judging on my study of the original book “Utopia” (Thomas More, if I remember right) and the dictionary I just looked at, the very word utopia implies something unachievable in reality - a pipe-dream.
Walden Two? Is there really such a book? I read Walden (the original book written by Thoreau) and really enjoyed it, but I’ve never heard of or seen Walden Two. Where could I possibly find a copy?
Jessica
The library?
So, you see, we’d have to start out with a heavy dose of Prozac in the water…
Oh, I’m gonna keep using these #%@&* codes 'til I get 'em right.