Utopias: Better worlds or beautiful lies

Hi Philosophers!
Hope you can join us at this event.

UTOPIAS: Better Worlds or Beautiful Lies

“There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world.” – Plato

“Utopias are initially attacked on three grounds: futility (it’s not possible), danger (the risks are too great), and perversity (it will degenerate into dystopia)...almost as soon as a utopia becomes a reality, it often comes to be seen as utterly commonplace.” – Rutger Bregman

“There will not be one kind of community existing and one kind of life led in utopia. Utopia will consist of utopias, of many different and divergent communities...Utopia is a framework for utopias, a place where people are at liberty to join together voluntarily to pursue and attempt to realize their own vision of the good life in the ideal community but where no one can impose his own utopian vision upon others.” – Robert Nozick

"Reality is what people who lack vision see.” ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Since Plato’s Republic, philosophers have envisioned ideal societies — free from war, injustice, poverty, or pain. Much of philosophy considers what we ought to do and can be described as a project of sketching a utopia for the way we act, form beliefs and understand the world.

However, every vision of perfection raises thorny questions: Who decides what’s ideal? What freedoms are sacrificed for harmony? And why do utopias so often turn into distopias? In this session, we’ll explore the promise and peril of utopian thinking. As well as explore some utopian ideas on ways to live and ways for society to be structured.

Some questions to think about:

• What would your utopia look like?
• Is a perfect society possible — or even desirable?
• Can a utopia exist without restricting freedom, individuality, or dissent?
• Why do so many fictional utopias slide into dystopias?
• Is utopian thinking necessary to motivate social progress, or does it distract from achievable reforms?
• Are small-scale utopias (e.g. intentional communities) more realistic than global ones?
• What role do technology, nature, and work play in utopian visions?
• Should we aim for a world without suffering — or one where suffering is meaningful?
• Can utopias be pluralistic, or must they impose a shared ideal?

Thought Experiment: Imagine you are designing a new society from scratch — a blank slate with no history. You won’t know your own position in it: rich or poor, healthy or ill, powerful or powerless. What rules, rights, and structures would you put in place? (Based on John Rawls’ veil of ignorance)

Crash Course - Utopia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t44-uHyzvCw&t=45s

Utopia for Realists - Argument for Universal Basic Income
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x2vh5eMjGI