Road to Social Utopia

If spiritual transformation is the key on the road to utopia for both the rich and the poor, then what is the key for society to become utopia for everyone, at all times. In other words, what is the key for a society, at what ever level of development to become, to evolve eventually into the self-sustaining, utopia where everyone can live happy and fulfilling lives?

We come full circle again to the original thread of this blog - where a discussion of the recent technological advances compared to Star Trek led to a discussion of Plato's Republic, Rousseau's Social Contract, etc. One of the many considerations that were in the minds of the American founding fathers was to create a society based on a division of power, so that each citizen has a fair share. And a key contribution by Thomas Jefferson, and Ben Franklin, in addition to their work on the Declaration of Independence, is their work on promoting the education of the general public, not for just the rich.

Jefferson made sure public education is a key priority becaused he believed that an educated well0informed public is the foundation of a democracy, is the shield against the mob mentality that destroyed not only the French Revolution, but most other populist movements. All successful social movements have been based on education, because spiritual transformation is indeed a part of the educational process. The purpose of education is not memorize facts and figures, but to transform the thinking processs, the perspective of a person, to affect a paradigm shift.

Ben Franklin popularized the concept of the self-learned man, not only by example, but also by promoting and supporting public institutions, like libraries and associations for adults to exchange ideas and learn. A major feature of utopia must be the continuous learning process of everyone, not just children. Indeed, the adults must be like children in utopia.

Another key feature of utopia must be the civic involvement of all citizens, not just politicians, where decisions are made by everyone as a community, not just a few, where discussions can take place freely and with civility. It is this public civic community that requires a well-educated citizenry. If even one or two people cross the wrong-side of the Solzhenitsen line, public discussion of important issues cannot possibly be effective, and when there is a critical mass of these wrong-minded people, partisan politics is assured.

When everyone in society takes responsibility for doing the right thing, then utopia is based on a community of leaders, instead of a government leading a society of followers. Indeed, when everyone in society is striving to do the right thing at all times, there is little need for much of a government. Utopia is the dream of the right wing politicians who want to minimize government's role in the life of the people. It is also the dream of anarchists who want no government at all. But, ironically, utopia belongs to the liberals, who believe that everyone in society has a right to living a happy productive meaningful life, with or without the help of society. What distinguishes utopia from the left-wing totalitarian nightmares that passed as utopia in the past, is the role of government or the lack of it, and the role of individuals. Instead of government programs and legislations, instead of police enforcement and judicial deliberations, utopian decisions and actions are made by individuals, as a part of a group, a community, each striving to do the right thing, for the moment, for that particular part of the whole, a fractal society.

So the key for a society on the road to utopia, is amazingly, remarkably similar to that for an individual, spiritual transformation. Traditional social structures must be transformed, just as industrial societies have to transform to fit into an information age, as hierarchal organizations have to transform into a networked organization to function in the new society. A key feature of utopia's social transformation is the minimization of itself, fewer government agencies, fewer legislations, fewer expenditure, fewer taxes, fewer social programs, fewer intrusion into the life of the individual. Yet, ironically, the life of the individual is fuller and more connected to the others in the community. Instead of relying on the formal structure of governments to make connections to others in society, individuals in utopia find their own connections, spontaneously, dynamically, and constantly changing, adapting.

Contrary to the dreams of all the utopians of the past, the road to utopia is not more government, but less.