“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.”
William Shakespeare
This is the final blog in a series entitled “Creating a Better World.” Amidst all the challenges we have, which have only been exacerbated by the COVID virus, one might think how can we ask, “Why not utopia?” In fact, it is exactly at these times where we need to consider it most. Utopia is not a place or destination, but a mindset. . . the desire to continually strive for something better with the hope that future generations will do the same. What greater gift to future generations can we give that one of optimism, faith, hope and love for humanity.
So now let’s move on with the concluding blog, Why Not Utopia?
The “common sense” of utopia
The thought of a utopian world infers the impossible in the minds of many. What this Creating a Better World series has attempted to suggest is that it is quite the contrary, very possible. In fact, in the words of Thomas Paine it is near “common sense,” that it should happen. Like Paine, I have tried to offer very simple and plain arguments as to why it can occur, and strong justification for why it must occur. An intelligent being endowed with the gifts of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice, has it within our inexorable nature to draw us to this state of betterment and continuous improvement. As individuals, we want to survive, we want to flourish, we are driven to overcome, and we seek purpose. Joining the totality of those individual desires, or the sum of the parts if you will, to the whole of humanity will ultimately lead to society itself surviving, overcoming, flourishing, and finding purpose.
However, what seems to be common sense and simple in argument is much more complex in action. War, poverty, oppression, and an environment that is under increasing strain, are not problems that will be easily overcome. What is suggested though is that these are not a by-product of human nature. In fact, they are quite unnatural. A human being does not naturally look to kill or choose to watch others needlessly suffer, regardless of the examples there may be to the counter. We do not accept this as part of being human and must not accept it as part of our humanity. What is very much part of our humanness and humanity is the drive to survive and overcome, and this is what guarantees that these challenges will be addressed. The question is when?
I am making the case that this must be now. It’s time to make a leap in our humanity. We need to harness the strength and resolve that resides within each of us and direct that toward the purpose of creating a society that is flourishing and reaching its greatest potential. We have entered a great age of discovery and understanding, such that now we comprehend our world more than ever before and yearn to look beyond. As the first voyagers stood on the precipice of the great oceans wondering what lie beyond; that is what we can now do as we look out into the universe. It’s for us to recognize the grandness of what we are part of, not just a “pale blue dot,” and become citizens in a frontier yet to be discovered. Is there anybody else out there? We don’t know, and this should give us more reason to want to find out, just as those taking the first journeys around our own home planet.
Mankind is just beginning; our existence is a mere few thousand years. We only learned of our place in the solar system a few hundred years ago, and we are just beginning to see our place in the Universe. The Hubble telescope, and probes such as the Voyager’s have given us a fresh perspective on this place, but they have also presented a thousand more doors for us to open.
The blessing of simply being human should be more apparent than ever because there is nothing like it that we have found within light years, and that should be a call for how special we are. We should not be overwhelmed by the infiniteness of the great beyond, but given our gift of intelligence and virtues, be motivated to partake. Utopia then is a logical and necessary step, or leap for mankind to make.
“Frequently consider the connection of all things in the universe. .. We should not say ‘I am an Athenian’ or ‘I am a Roman’ but ‘I am a citizen of the Universe.” Marcus Aurelius
The Question ‘Why not Utopia?’ seems almost non-sensical.
Thomas More’s Utopia took from the Greek word “nowhere;” but our utopia today is somewhere if only in our minds eye; we can visualize it and therefore we can achieve it. I have put forth four areas that must be eradicated, war, extreme poverty, exclusion, oppression along with the desperate need for a sustainable environment. I have suggested a focus on virtues through holistic education that begins at the youngest ages and continues throughout life. I have stated that citizenship, local and global, is essential for us to truly partake in our common humanity. I have challenged us all to share in leading regardless of state or status as a service to a fellow woman and man. And lastly, I’ve put forth friendship as the essential foundation to build our future on. The question, ‘why not Utopia?’ seems almost non-sensical when we consider the benefits to each of us as individuals and as parts of the whole. The current state makes no sense, is not sustainable, and is impeding our progress toward our purpose, which is ultimately detrimental to each person and future generations.
Utopia has existed in the minds and hearts of mankind for centuries. We have always imagined something better. The difference is that we have never had the capability to act upon it, but that has changed. We now have the resources and technology to address the challenges as a united planet. We can reach each other instantaneously and can be almost anywhere on the planet in less than twenty-four hours. We have access to knowledge drawn from the farthest corners of the world on a smart phone. No other generation has had a greater opportunity to move mankind forward together making the case for utopia evident.
This, then, is the nature of man: to move forward and become better beings, and continually contribute to the Universe, beginning with our own home. This planet may be our end, but it should be our beginning. I believe it can be our steppingstone to the infinite frontier, but we must first address the challenges we now face. We are so young, with such a bright future ahead. Like a young adult, we have enough history in our existence to look back, reflect on our mistakes and begin to define ourselves for the future. We need to move toward Utopia as the new normal.
Conclusion: The next utopia
The challenges that mankind has overcome thus far would have seemed impossible for those before us. From their perspective, our normal today would in many ways be their dream, or their utopia. Certainly, as we look at our situation, it is far from ideal, but it is in so many ways far better than before and therefore a stepping off point for us to make our leap. We must now become purposeful and deliberate and acknowledge the absurdity of the challenges that we have, most of which are self-imposed and thus can be removed by ourselves. We have it in us, in this current generation, to create a new state of being for all humanity that may seem ideal today until we reach it, and then a new generation will be left to ponder what their utopia will be.
“The most important thing to remember is this: To be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become.” W.E.B. Dubois
This ends my blog series “Creating a Better World.” I have truly enjoyed writing this which stems from years of previous work and thought. The series was designed to lay the underpinnings and a Theory of Change for Creating a Better World. Keep an a lookout for my next series: “Beyond Utopia . . .Faith, Hope, and Love”