Functional Utopia: Technology and the Future

Chapter One: Understanding the tenants of functional utopia

When considering the most basic ideas of what the future will hold it is impossible to dismiss the ideas of utopia. Questions of the future may be necessary but some certainty can be placed in the rational that at some point utopia has to be considered. To question what it will take to reach a plateau that is currently without question out of reach. Being able to accept that while striving to reach the upper bound of what is possible that both good and evil exist. Within those considerations is a complex path to understanding the mechanisms necessary to implement a system that could create utopia. Introducing the question of how does society elevate the pursuit of knowledge to move along the path to a functional utopia through striving toward progress?

Before the mechanisms for implementing utopia are identified and the process of understanding what it would take to maintain those mechanisms is clarified the goal state itself must be made clear. Since it would be impossible to define utopia inside of a vacuum with the intent to apply it to the actual world the definition will be more complex. It is based on the idea that the constructs that define the system are not only the image of what that system would look like but the functional aspects that would need to be implemented by the mechanisms.

There are four tenants of creating a utopian state within the current social environment. They are not only all related but they are contingent on each other in terms of compliments that are necessary to allow the complete system to work. The first tenant of the idea utopian state is the idea that the consumption could be controlled. Consumption is operationally defined in terms of use of scarce resources and the utilization of current resources to promote sustainable use through controlling consumption.

Within the second tenant is the idea of sustainable food management. Which can only be defined in terms of management that within this idea sustainable agriculture is not only a statement but also a reality that allows the population to alleviate the idea of starvation and limitation. Solving one of the more complex problems facing the planet and current society as a whole. This idea is notable different from the first in terms of food specifically consumption is operationally defined to deal with the environment and consumer goods which will be discussed in more detail later on.

Working with the ideas of sustainable consumption and agriculture it is important to have the third tenant, which involves population management. This tenant is defined explicitly as a management function and is based on finding a place to put everyone that currently exists. This also at some points means that within the utopian structure a way of designing cities and buildings is perfected to manage space and personal welfare within that space.

Defining the forth tenant is the most difficult and it is based heavily on the ability to sustain the first three tenants it is the idea of removing the question of age. This literally means the risk of disease or early death becomes non-existent and in terms of practicality the problems of the body deteriorating are so limited that existence is practically guaranteed indefinitely. This means that the third tenant becomes very important to managing the forth. Now that the basic ideas or tenants of the functional utopian vision have been identified they need to be explicitly defined in painstaking detail for the next four chapters.

Understanding the nature of good and evil inside the journal to achieving a functional utopia is important because the risks have to be evaluated. The idea that knowledge is the key to moving to the upper bound of what is possible allowing the possible alleviation of the risk of evil and the sustainable development of society at a heightened level.

Chapter Two: Sustainable Consumption

Defining the first tenant of maintaining sustainable consumption is the most complex question because the terms are not specific and have to be generalized because the mechanisms for implementation are currently not clear. To clearing define sustainable consumption looking at certain specific problems will help define the general goals and assumptions behind this tenant being a necessity. Waste management is one of the largest questions facing society today and is an issue that requires tremendous amounts of study.

For example, it might be possible to use particle acceleration to separate elements then use particle deceleration to place aluminum into one bin and plastic into another. This would remove the problem of consumption destroying the environment and destroying any possible chance of sustaining the environment. Leading to a second question of how to develop a practical set of mechanisms for creating the resources necessary to sustain the population balanced with protecting the environment. Based on the assumption that it is reasonably certain that if the environment is destroyed the society cannot exist.
To develop a functional utopia within the current state it is necessary to not only evaluate what is necessary to sustain society but what it will take to get to the point where the evils of consumption will not destroy the potential for progress. Worrying about the potential to expand the technology curve and develop a practical scenario for sustainable consumption balanced against the potential destruction of the environment. The ideal goal of the utopian state is that consumption could be controlled. Consumption has to be operationally defined in terms of use of scarce resources and the utilization of current resources to promote sustainable use through controlling consumption.

Development of a consumer goods market is a natural part of a market economy however it is not purely efficient within a utopian framework. Society has to find a way to manage the consumption of consumer goods and develop a system to control the amount of consumption. If everyone within the system could exercise absolute free exercise of the use of goods the problem of absolute scarcity would raise its head. It is not possible to produce enough goods for everyone with free use inside a free market.

Chapter Three: Sustainable Agriculture

The second tenant within a functional utopia is the idea of sustainable food management. Which can only be defined in the strictest sense of terms as management. Within this idea is the notion of sustainable agriculture, which is not only a statement of definition but also a grim reality that without alleviating the idea of starvation the potential of the population is limited. This solves one of the more complex problems facing the planet and current society as a whole. It is important at this point to think about what would be required to implement a mechanism to allow a perpetual supply of food.
This idea is notable different from the first tenant in terms of definition. Food specifically is often considered a form of consumption however within this model consumption is operationally defined to deal with the environment and consumer goods. This is a necessary distinction because to deal with food, as a regulated part of consumption is a difficult task it has to be separated for reasons of simplicity. Since food is an absolute necessity and one of the more difficult issues to manage on a worldwide basis. Food has to be treated as a separate issue because in the long run it is necessary to set it as a value that is not checked in the conventional sense of other consumer goods. Setting food as a separate vale has several long term implications within a functional utopia first and foremost it allows for sustaining the population while sustenance is necessary playing cards for example are not.

Sustainable agriculture has to be managed on a different system of mechanisms for implementation while it is necessary to consider the environment and the first tenant of functional utopia. To be purely functional sustainable agriculture becomes more important to allowing a utopia to exist. Fortunately of all the aspects of a functional utopia this is the one that is becoming close to becoming reality. Thinkers and scientists are learning every day how to implement farming techniques that do not damage the environment while still yield enough food to sustain the population. This is one are where a sizeable amount of research and attention needs to be focused because of how close this tenant is to be fulfilled.

Managing this tenant is the most complex part of the entire system because how do you set up a mechanism to feed the entire planet and do it in a functional efficient way that perseveres social equity and still is practical. Between the first and second tenants of functional utopia the greatest potential for short term gain in moving toward a utopian state. This is clearly the path that has to be taken to realize the goals of a utopia and in practical terms is the path to begin walking down as soon as possible utilizing knowledge to achieve the stated goals.

Chapter Four: Population Management

Realizing the first two tenants of fictional utopia moving toward sustainable consumption and agriculture drives the need for the third tenant of population management. If a system is not established with working mechanisms to figure out how to deal with the potential population explosion it could be the end of the potentially functional utopia. Working with the ideas of sustainable consumption and agriculture it is important to have the third tenant be successful, which involves a strategy for population management.

This tenant has to be explicitly defined as a management function and is based on finding a place to put everyone that currently exists. Being easier said than done the mechanisms that need to be designed to achieve this are complex and require a fair amount of planning to be successful. This also at some point means that within the utopian structure a way of designing cities and buildings is perfected to manage space and personal welfare within that space. However how do you weight the different needs of the population and keep the population itself from destroying the possibility of a functional utopia? Being able to answer that question will be one of the more challenging part of achieving the potential goal sate of a functional utopia. Movement toward this goal state is possible and can be achieved through planning and gaining more knowledge about the system.

Chapter Five: Managing Age

Defining the forth tenant is the most difficult part of explaining this potential scenario and it is based heavily on the ability to sustain the first three tenants it is the idea of removing the question of age. This involves being able to alleviate disease and physiological ailments so that any member of society can potentially survive as long as they want to. Being able to figure out how to remove ageing as a problem of society with substantially increase the ability to acquire knowledge and use it for the purposes of moving toward a functional utopia. While this is one of the hardest goals to achieve it is one of the most practical in terms of being able to make significant technological advantages to enable the other tenants.

This literally means the risk of disease or early death becomes non-existent and in terms of practicality the problems of the body deteriorating are so limited that existence is practically guaranteed indefinitely expanding the need for the third tenant exponentially. Managing age is a difficult question because without disease epidemics or the problems associated with current health care changes the dynamics of the current social and political systems significantly.

Chapter Six: Understanding Mechanisms

Since it is not possible to know the exact way that each of the tenants will be implemented the quest for knowledge is currently about defining the mechanisms. That makes the pursuit of knowledge the basis of expansion and thus knowledge becomes the base of not only progress but also power. To create a functional utopia the basis of knowledge acquisition has to be predicated on the assumption that it is possible to move forward and that moving forward is a necessary and proper purpose for the best and brightest within society.

Externalities exist infinitely to stand in the way of complete progress along the bounds of rational choice and logic, which could at any time cause society to take a step back from moving toward utopia. This makes the mechanisms used to reach the goal state a priority topic of discussion but also recognizing that cannot be explicitly explained with the current knowledge base. A very basic assumption is used here that it is a good thing to move toward a potential functional utopia. This may seem simplistic but without this assumption it would be impossible to progress at an accelerated rate or to comprehend the potential of what could be done if all of the goals are accomplished.

Technology is the main mechanism of progress and is the basis of designing a system to allow the implantation of a fun ional utopia. It has been debated that perhaps technology would be the means to destroying society and in this glimpse into the banality of technology it is possible to assume that technology is a mechanism that has two potential paths for the future. One potential path is created if a functional utopia cannot be achieved because enough process has not been made and consumption destroying the potential for sustaining society.

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