"It is thus a bit akin to a mirror: it gives the illusion of depth and can reflect almost anything, but it is only… /i/web/status/1… 3 weeks ago They've been laying this groundw… WKCosmo Speaking as a total outsider- and apart from the question of bullshit artists- maybe contemporary physics… /i/web/status/1… 2 weeks ago As i wrote, referendums to annex Ukrainian territory into Russia. "A tangle looks like a “mess” because many agents are empowered to do whatever conflicting things they want in a co… /i/web/status/1… 1 week ago RT folukeifejola: Hilary Mantel about facts, history, and the past. Capitalism, Communism and the end of NatureĬool WKCosmo I realize you're a busy man, but I was curious if you had seen this paper, and if you had any thoughts?… /i/web/status/1… 5 days ago.Mary Shelley’s other horror story Lessons for Super-pandemics.I started this project to find out and am still not sure, though I do have a clearer idea of why I am not sure. “In your mind, is it something that we can actively work for, or is it nothing more than a dream?” I am sure I am missing some, but that’s a pretty big list. Sure, there is a lot here, and to be frank I need to organize it better so that it is easier for readers to find, but here are some pieces on that topic: ![]() “This leads me to wonder if you will cover any dystopian (or utopian) fiction on this blog. I will try to answer your questions as best as I can. Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment. In your mind, is it something that we can actively work for, or is it nothing more than a dream? Finally, the line “caught up in that most utopian of hopes ‘peace on earth, and good will towards men'” makes me wonder about your stance on the possibility of a true utopia. It is not by any means a necessity, of course, but it would make for an interesting comparison. This leads me to wonder if you will cover any dystopian (or utopian) fiction on this blog. I noticed several references to fictional dystopias in your description (big brother, Mad Max), which tells me you are very much aware of dystopia as a genre. This blog is meant entirely for reflection on our world. Often dystopian fiction is meant to give some kind of message to citizens of our world, but as it is fictional it is by nature not based entirely in reality. The idea of examining dystopias and utopias through the lens of philosophical and political thought for use in real life is intriguing. I admit that I find myself fascinated by this blog. This blog will explore the nature, promise, and perils of utopian and dystopian thought. We believe in a degree of educational and social equality that would have brought a smile to the lips of many utopian writers, and during the holidays finding ourselves caught up in that most utopian of hopes “peace on earth, and good will towards men”.īecause the utopian-dystopian tradition retains such a powerful hold over the human imagination, and was the first tradition to deal explicitly with certain present and looming trends, people in the 21st century are likely to increasingly turn to that tradition to understand and respond to events. We label intrusive surveillance as “big brother”, social disintegration “Mad Max”, genetically engineered organisms “franken-foods”. In many ways we turn to the utopian-dystopian tradition to understand and act in our own world though we seldom understand that we are doing so. ![]() They tried to find answers to deep social questions such as: What is community? What is the state? How far should the state’s power extend? What is the proper relationship of the individual to the community and the state? These thinkers were also trying to grope their way towards solutions to acute social problems of which we are only too familiar: inequality and failed social institutions, social break down and individual isolation. ![]() In doing so they were among the first to grapple with the social rather than just the philosophical implications of questions such as what is mind? What is life? What is freedom? What is the proper relationship to nature? The visionaries who imagined utopias and dystopias were the first to grapple with technologies and social developments that we are only now forced to fully face in reality: technologies such as artificial intelligence, or genetic engineering. For much of history human beings have been enchanted by visions of future paradise, transformation and doom.These visions, their effect on human thought and history, and the periodic attempts to realize them on earth are what I call the utopian-dystopian tradition. This blog is an attempt to understand certain contemporary political ideologies and trends in light of the this tradition.
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