Is a Utopian Society possible?

[Kalis]

Since you mentioned all these conquerors, out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on Hitler?

I personally don't think the guy was evil..just had his own vision of the world and how it should be.

Napoleon and Hannibal targetted military as opposed to civilians, though I am sure there were exceptions.

Genghis Khan and Hitler were indiscriminate, and specifically targetted civilians as policy.

Caesar and Alexander were probably somewhere in the middle - though they would probably be considered war criminals today, it could be argued that their slaughter of civilians was a side effect of war and not a policy.

[Beefsquatch]

Napoleon and Hannibal targetted military as opposed to civilians, though I am sure there were exceptions.

Genghis Khan and Hitler were indiscriminate, and specifically targetted civilians as policy.

Caesar and Alexander were probably somewhere in the middle - though they would probably be considered war criminals today, it could be argued that their slaughter of civilians was a side effect of war and not a policy.

Yeah that sounds about right. Alexander and Cesar were considered tyrants by many during their time so I can imagine what they would be thought of if they lived in our era.

[Garnier Fructis]

It will never be possible. The only reality we could ever achieve would be a dystopia. Perfection is a human concept, not a reality.

[mjolnir1122]

As many have already stated, a Utopian society is not possible, since to have a Utopian society means to have people in it. The human factor allows for differing viewpoints and opinions. If there are differing viewpoints and opinions, then it is not a Utopia.

The only way to ever get a "Utopian society" would be to brainwash and/or drug every single civilian. This would be a false Utopian society, as those who would be running the society would be the ones pulling the strings, thus again, it would not be a true Utopian society.

We all want different things. We all have different views. As long as free will and free thinking exists, a Utopian society would never be possible.

Which one of any of you wants to follow all the rules and do every single little thing that you're told, whether it be to fork over all of your money to the governing body, not to have kids, walk with your right foot first, use your left hand even if you're right handed. I don't mind obeying the law. But I do mind having a governing body tell me, an adult, what to do and when to do it.

Aside from all of this, how do you abolish war? Violence has always been in our nature, even going all the way back to neanderthals. If someone doesn't like the way things are going in a Utopian society, they will undoubtedly seek followers. If those followers amass enough numbers, they will revolt.

Long story short, as long as there are thinking human beings on this planet, there will never be a Utopian society.

[Kalis]

Yeah that sounds about right. Alexander and Cesar were considered tyrants by many during their time so I can imagine what they would be thought of if they lived in our era.

Indeed, both Alexander and Caesar were regarded as tyrants by a lot of their own countrymen, which probably says a lot about them (even taking into account their opponents propaganda).

[Wiyld]

I'm so sick of the self loathing emo crap that ALWAYS pops up in these threads. I'm really sorry you hate yourself and everyone else around you so much, I really am, but just give it a rest. Stop it with the 'humans are the only problem on this planet, humans are all evil at their core, humans are a scourge on the planet', yadda yadda yadda.

Humans are animals and every frikkin animal on the planet acts exactly the same way, we have fundamental core drives that are programmed into our DNA, in fact we're all derived from the same code at some point in the past.

Stop feeling so sorry for yourself, stop trying to convince the world that we're all some form of life that exists separately from all others, either above or below.

We're ignorant, semi autonomous beings doing the best damn job we can to live out the short lives we're given while enjoying it as much as possible. Anything beyond that, and your trying too hard.

Utopian society isn't possible, but it isn't because humans are evil little monsters. It's no different then concluding that time travel isn't possible. Unless you believe in certain religious teachings, you don't think utopian society ever existed in the first place. Like time travel, it was just a cool idea somebody had one day, denouncing the entire species because it never amounted to more then a cool idea is just fucking lame.

[Astalnar]

Short answer. No.

Long answer. Sorry, we are just humans, Utopia is not achievable for us. Why do you think Heavens are depicted as a place of order, peace and love. While we do strive for it, we jump in our own belly every so often.

[Decagon]

In the future perhaps, but as the world stands today, it'll never happen.

[Kalis]

Ignorance is blizz.

As a hunter, I couldn't agree more.

[Deleted]

Steering away from the misanthropic "humans r evul" comments, nope. Utopia is impossibility by definition.

[dignaidgnaiud]

Utopia - An imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.

[Deleted]

I would say no because what is utopia for some is a living hell for the others. Utopia can only be accomplished by heavily suppressing freedoms and forcing the more successful to help the more unfortunate ones.

On second thought, nothing is impossible, I guess, it's just that every idea of utopia seems like an oppression to me.

Communism - living hell for the more successful. Will stagnate because no one wants to give more if there are no personal benefits.
Thought control, big brother watching and snipping all thoughts of "rebellion" in the bud - sure, criminals and wars and terrorism are bad but privacy is a basic human right and there would be no society without it. Unfortunately it isn't possible to have both, one has to be sacrificed.
Machines providing everything - leads to stagnation. If there is nothing to overcome, people would just "forget" everything and live till the machines break without achieving anything.

[Bosen]

Impossible.

[Lecan]

Two men, both heterosexual, both equally attractive, hell, lets make them twins even. One woman, gorgeous in every conceivable way to our two men. Both want her, and she is equally attracted to both. Your "Utopian" society is immediately in jeopardy based solely on the most basic of human instincts, procreating with the best possible mate.

Regardless of whether or not one of the men concedes and "settles" for a different mate, perfection has been lost because quite simply everyone didn't get the most perfect outcome for them.

In the end, you would have to start with a system that controlled the emotional state of all members of the society such that attraction and longing and desire and passion and contact with another being was predetermined and programmed in, and the person has to be none the wiser that this is being done. Additionally, everyone would have to be "matched" up with one other person and never can there be more than a one to one match up.

Yeah, this sounds like a society I would love to be a part of :P

Or, both get her. Other societies might not be bound by your idea of what's perfect.

[Deleted]

Its very possible and quite simple really. Research the human psyche to the point where you can be confident on what policies would work in order to progress the human race to a utopian society. Change might not come right away, buts its an achievable objective. Anecdotal evidence suggests that people are capable of being concerned for the well being of their community, we just need to push this type of behavior into a more dominant role in society if we wish to have prosperity for all.

[Ianus]

only if aliens come to enslave us.. maybe then

[caractacus]

I love all these discussions about utopia, free will and good vs evil (No sarcasm)

I won't comment on the topic directly but would just say I have enjoyed reading everyones views and opinions be they similar to my own or different.

[Kalis]

mOar people like you this world need. Brains open and fully intact. props and respect you.

The answers coming to this topic where most blatantly decline the possibility answers how valuable democracy is. Never will utopia come even close if you let random pessimists develop the future.

It's not pessimism to say that a utopian society is impossible, it's the definition of utopia that says it can't exist.

[The Ogdru Jahad]

I don't think it's possible. There will ALWAYS be a "loser" in the end of any sort of government or economic system. There will always be winners and losers. Theres no way around that.

[Kalis]

Who's definition?

Balance is the end.

Define that.

Utopia is more like optima not fantasia. The context is not of the essence, what you make of it is. Even if nothing is perfect, you do not decline perfectionism.

The definition of the word.

You cannot reach a state of perfection in society unless everybody has exactly the same goals, and/or each member has unlimited resources and can completely control their environment.