Utopian World Championship

William Sidney Harper: Utopia 2001: An ethical approach to religion, government, economics and the law.

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In essence, Rationality is simply the dedication to use logic in all our endeavours. Pride: what is meant here is a sense of self-worth- that virtue midway between what Aristotle called the two sins of humility and vanity. Justice means the recognition that rights grounded in logic must be universal. Integrity means you live in accordance with your chosen ethic. Benevolence is the willingness to aid others to achieve rational goals.

What concerns us here though, is what changes such a rational society might seek to make to its institutions. The original Utopian simply went down to the commissary and drew what simple stores they needed. We have created a world for ourselves that is as far removed from this as it is possible to be. Ever increasing consumption is now necessary to support corporate profits, so companies in turn can hire workers. These workers are then expected to spend their salaries to generate more consumption to maintain the spiral.

While there is a certain mad logic to this, mankind needs to reorganise their priorities. We cannot return to a simple past and the barter system, yet the huge wealth disparities that have arisen must be addressed. Attempts at this will fail under the prevailing ethical vacuum. Business and the economy operate within the shadow of our societal structure. Lasting reforms must start with an ethical shift in religion, government and the legal system.

Religion

Religion is as old as humanity. Behavioral patterns stretching that far back become instinctive, which explains in large part why it survives to this day. A religious mind is inclined to be an emotional mind, not a logical one. By chaining us to the instinctive thought processes of the past, it inhibits ethical development. This of course will be fiercely denied by the clergy- in fact they are quite likely to get emotional about it.

As an institution, religion promises brotherly love and compassion. What it too often delivers is bloodshed and intolerance. Yet it is unlikely to go away, simply because it has become instinctive. Humanity is not prepared to accept the premise that despite our vaunted logic, evolution has ensured that we are largely driven by instinct. Even atheists spend a large part of their time worrying about God, or the absence thereof.

What then should be done to fix it up as an institution? There's no point in asking senior church figures reluctant to give up their power base- you have to consult an atheist. Since it is instinctive, there's also no point in trying to eliminate religion. It will simply spring up again, like weeds in a compost heap.

 

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