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JustJack
11-18-2002, 02:07 PM
Utopia - n. Any place of ideal perfection; also, any impracticable scheme for perfecting social regulation, solving social and political problems, etc.


I was sitting around with my friend Matt, just playing video games, talking about random things. Eventually we got led onto the subject of censorship, and how we could stop it, reasonably. Points would jump from "How much is too much for a young virgin mind?" to "Do we really want to see so much explicit stuff, just because they can?" When you think about it, a lot of good stories and well developed stories could just go to hell because TV networks would suddenly be allowed to include extreme violence, and explicit sex. Then he argued with South Park. They has near-free reign to do as they please...say what they want, anything. And while their stories aren't really the most intelectual...you can't say you haven't learned something smart and important by the end of the episode. (even the 'S' word episode made a good point about it at the end. Or how about the religious episode, with everyone crapping out their mouths? Get it?). In the end, the over all decision was that our society is just too damn immature to handle an end to censorship.

Society just can't handle such things.

If we lived in a mature society, we wouldn't need censorship...everyone would be able to handle the things they witness.

Or so is the thought. With my friend Matt, this would all spread back to his idea's of a Utopian society. His explanation is simple: "If everyone were to be educated..." No...it's not that simple. Sure, we could attempt to educate everyone, make everyone aware of the things in the world, teach them at a young age....but you must remember...no matter how much of an intelegent society we may live in, there will always be that one stupid pervert who wants nothing more than to watch TV shows where peoples hearts get ripped out, and everyone else has hot hot sex.

There's always that one stupid guy.

But a Utopia isn't just a concept to end Censorship...how about war? No matter how well educated the world is, there will still be disagreements. It's not like the entire world will all believe the same thing. Concider church. I have a whole slew of kids that I grew up with in the church...we were all taught the same stuff, and yet we each seem to have different views on certain subjects. But sure, that's religion, there's way too much 'interpretation' for everyone to get the same idea, right? As if science is always 100%, right? Or is it possible that one Scientist could believe that Evolution is 100%, and another scientist feels there is no real evidence of Evolution in the first place. One man might feel nuclean power can be weilded for good, another might feel that it can be weilded for the good of one nation, while destroying the others. There are conciously good men, and conciously bad men. Good or evil, either way...there is conflict. And no matter what you do...

There will always be that one stupid guy.

Utopia...a foolish dream, or just simply impossible? Or...both, actually?

Jedigreedo
11-18-2002, 02:24 PM
Ironic... I always thought society was rather immature when it let's itself be centered around a single emotional attraction, IE: sex.

If you think about you always hear about loveless sex and yadda yadda yadda and how people say "love is more important than sex" and yet love relationships are centered around a sex life. I know that sounds rather stuck up or something but it's just something that's crossed my mind. It just seems a little immature, more selfish or something I dunno. Just thought I'd toss that in.


My opinion on a Utopia though would be one those "in the eye of the beholder" things. No one could really have the same Utopia, they'd have their opinions on what would make it better or what would make it worse. The basic question being what is your Utopia rather than could there be a Utopia.

Psilon
11-18-2002, 03:55 PM
Ignorance is the one true evil, and knowledge in the one true good.

utopia-what is best for the vast majority of people.


+ Install total democracy.
+ Eliminate any type of propaganda.
+ Leave the rest up to the people.
----------------------------------------------------
=Utopia, maybe one day this could happen.

Shnay
11-18-2002, 04:09 PM
I read More's Utopia last year and found it to be really interesting. What I liked best about it was how it didn't just provide the author's thoughts as the key to a perfect society. In facy, More has several of the book's chracters, including one named "More" question his ideas.

As to whether or not it could ever come close to existing in the real world...he addresses that in one of my favorite lines from the book, "...there is much in the Utopian commonwealth that I wish rather than expect to see realized in the cities of our own world."