Thursday, July 29, 2010 . 6:06 AM
CAN A UTOPIA EXIST?According to Wikipedia, the word 'utopia' comes from the Greek words : οὐ, "not", and τόπος, "place", which suggests that a utopia cannot exist. The Giver as well as the movies The Handmaid's Tale and 1984 are examples of a failed utopias. In past class discussions, we have also concluded that it cannot exist on this earth. I agree with this statement to a large extent. Firstly, not everybody will agree on whether a element is utopian or dystopian. Secondly, there is an infinite number of views on which features a utopian society should have. Last but not least, it is impossible to co-ordinate every single one of the extremely large group of people that live in this world successfully. However, I think that we could live in our own utopia.
First, not everybody will agree on whether an element is utopian or dystopian. Let's look at a definition of "utopia" from the Merriam-Webster dictionary: "a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions". This definition, as well as many others are pretty much unclear. There are many views on what "perfection" is. For example, pain is a element which can be both dystopian and utopian. On one hand, it causes suffering. On the other, without pain or suffering, there is no way to learn and progress as a society. Therefore, whether an element is utopian or dystopian, is always open for debate.
Second, the number of views on which features a utopian society should have is countless. I feel that it is not possible to co-ordinate the viewpoints of every single person as there are just too many. Thus those whose views have not been heard would find that the utopia created is a dystopia to them. I therefore think that the infinite number of viewpoints cannot be succesfully combined to form a utopia that is pleasing to everyone.
Finally, I think that the co-ordination of every single one of the 6.6 Billion people on earth to form a Utopia would be beyond the bounds of possibility. With all the contrasting religions, philosophies and beliefs in the world, everyone has different thoughts, practices and rituals. Even in these groups, there might already be disputes. Furthermore, if one rule of the utopia upsets one group and they decide to change it, the other groups would be unhappy and the utopia would then be a dystopia. Hence I think that the co-ordination of everyone on earth would be unattainable.
However, I do think it is possible to live in our own utopias, if we choose to do so. When I took a close look at my life, I could not really find anything to complain about. Sure, my grades could be better. Yes, I've spent many late nights on homework and projects because I have too many commitments and am tired all the time as a result. Of course, I would like to be smarter, more sporty, and so on just like everyone else on the face of the earth. I'm definitely not perfect, but sometimes, I think being perfect is a dystopian element in itself. Everything would be so predictable and uninteresting. I think if we changed our definition of "utopia" and looked at all of our challenges, set-backs and imperfections as a way of helping us to learn and grow, and therefore utopian elements, we would definitely be able to live in our own personal utopia.
In conclusion, I agree that a large-scale utopia is impossible as not everybody will agree on whether a element is utopian or dystopian, there is an infinite number of views on which features a utopian society should have and it is impossible to co-ordinate every single one of the extremely large group of people that live in this world successfully. However, I think that if we change our definition of "utopia", so that we look at everything that happens to us as a utopian element, we can live in our own personal utopia.