2 definitions by FlarkinOverlord
By definition the total opposite of a utopia often caused by the complete collapse of an attempt at creating said utopia. The primary issue with utopia is that no two people can 100% agree on everything 100% of the time. The other and much bigger issue is that some tyrannical entity (individual or group) will take control and twist it to serve only them resulting in a societal hell and the suffering of others. Sir Thomas More wrote Utopia defining both Utopia and Dystopia (a term he had coined). George Orwell's novel 1984 and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World both show what happens in a dystopian society. The common traits are dehumanization, tyranny, ecological disasters, societal collapse, and the like.
After the Russians overthrew the Czar and the Aristocracy the Communists took over and promised a utopia only for it to become a dystopian nightmare where many millions suffered and died.
by FlarkinOverlord June 26, 2019
A utopia is an idealized social construct largely relegated to fiction and sociological thought experiments. In a utopia everybody gets along and does not need much if anything. In theory all have equal rights to food, shelter, and other basic needs. There are many suggested forms of utopia suggested: Eco, Technological, Religious, Science, Economic, etc.
There are others, but it boils down to any given system and the will of the people over all. The moment someone decides to take over or people start to grow disillusioned. All attempts have failed to produce a viable society and have broken down. (See Plato's Republic.)
Proponents of any one of these will argue with their dying breath how the other ones are the devil, however the truth is that each has their pros and cons. The fact is they're a pipe dream because human nature: greed and selfishness.
There are others, but it boils down to any given system and the will of the people over all. The moment someone decides to take over or people start to grow disillusioned. All attempts have failed to produce a viable society and have broken down. (See Plato's Republic.)
Proponents of any one of these will argue with their dying breath how the other ones are the devil, however the truth is that each has their pros and cons. The fact is they're a pipe dream because human nature: greed and selfishness.
by FlarkinOverlord June 26, 2019