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How to build a Utopian society!

Use this space to explore, discover and share ideas about your idealized society and how it must look and function.

Of course determining a society in 2000 words is going to be very difficult, but if we can make this an additive process where everyone contributes one possible revolutionary idea, then maybe by the end of it all we have ourselves a true utopia entirely constructed by the TED community.

i think I'm being very hopeful, but lets see what goes on in our heads.

Topics: changing creating discovering learning utopian
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    Gerald O'brian 50+

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    Sep 4 2011: By removing the other ones.
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    Maxime Touzel

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    Aug 16 2011: 1st Step :

    Have a central bank creating wealth (money) for each Humanitarian action (non profitable) that improve the quality of life and increase happiness.

    Gradually improving the global situation.
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      anthony bruni 30+

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      Aug 19 2011: or just eliminate central banking so people have the incentive/freedom to create there own wealth.

      • biped since1991

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        Aug 19 2011: that is quite radical. how would it work? who would determine an individual's created wealth.
        i like your stance, but i have no idea on how to promote such incentive.
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          anthony bruni 30+

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          Aug 20 2011: Well I might have been a bit hasty. Some sort of centralized currency may be beneficial in a globalized word. That said it is acting much light an invasive species in that its disrupting the economic ecosystem. Many not all needs can be met on a local level. Does it make any sense that my clothes are more traveled than I am. Does most of my food really have to come from thousands of miles away. Is there no one living closer to Milwaukie that is capable of brewing a beer. If we established strong local economies based on proving real word goods and services to people who lived in the communities there no reason not to have a local currencies where people could haggle their worth. That would free up central banks for airline tickets, phone bills and other goods and services that cannot be met on a local level.

    • biped since1991

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      Aug 19 2011: do you mean that individuals benefit from each Humanitarian action/ contribution?
      what would be the criteria?

      may large companies/ organizations spend money for such purposes to evade tax.
      its a good scheme, better than funneling that money into a corrupt government system.

      not that all government systems are corrupt.
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    Mario El Khoury

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    Aug 12 2011: I suggest contacting Thomas More.
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    Jack Booton

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    Aug 12 2011: I don't mean to bring this conversation down, but I don't believe a Utopian society can be developed. At least not on a large scale, not in a densely populated area. Our world is far too developed and far too industrialized to create such a place.

    Sure, we have the power to select an exotic spot where we could construct an attractive society that functions, fill it with people, animals, etc. But the bottom line is, that isn't realistic. Utopia is so UNrealistic in our time and age that to pursue it would be selfish and neglecting to the rest of the worlds design issues. Besides, who would live there? The ultra wealthy, those who could afford it. That's not a Utopia. Reconstruction, renovation, planning, and basic human shelter must come first.

    -Our goal should be to re-adapt to the thousands of abandoned buildings on this planet, reuse what we've wasted.
    -Our goal should be to eliminate the sprawl that occurs around large city centers, invest in urban life.
    -Our goal should be to stop the discrimination in real estate markets and design our world through functional connections, not aging racial fears and turmoil.
    -Our goal should be to teach individual families to practice sustainable, interdependent lifestyles...lose the "me and mine" mentality.
    -Our GOAL should be to rebuild the ruins of our planet before we try to build a Utopia.

    I don't mean to shoot down the thread, just voicing my opinion.


    "The best way to predict the future is to design it" - Buckminster Fuller

    • biped since1991

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      Aug 12 2011: I completely agree with you, the more one dwells on the idea of creating a Utopia, the more fantasized it becomes, until we call it fiction.

      Jack Booton, you have expressed a very important step in creating Utopia. We cannot create a Utopia on the scale at which civilizations grow today. The disparities among people unfortunately push the spectrum much beyond recovery.

      But we can create smaller self-sustaining communities and there is no need for the rich to populate it. What we need to rethink is happiness. Happiness derived from a monetary system destroys any hope of utopia.

      Unfortunately I don’t see how the rich might take liking to a system that does not distinguish people by their financial value. This is where we need to change. These statements do not pertain to the wealthy, but also calls to the middle class. If I have heard correctly, the middle class is the most powerful group in any society; more people seem to be populating that space.

      So then the question might turn to us, can we give up the need to constantly assure the individual. Can we set aside our priorities of individual progression and turn towards establishing a “perfect” society?

  • Paul Lloyd

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    Aug 12 2011: I read once that the Pict tribes in Scotland had a society based on Humanitarianism. What you did for your commuinity was more important than what you had or what you did. Until our society gets away from the economical game of Monopoly where no one wins until someone has everything, I hold little hope.

    With all the troubles in the world today, I think we are witnessing, or our kids will witness, the end of this Civilization. The Incas, Greeks and Romans couldn't do it, and I think we are headed to another Dark Ages. Hopefully, what emerges is based more on Humanitarianism and Positive Energy than who has what and What race, religion or nation is the strongest.

    • biped since1991

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      Aug 12 2011: good thoughts,

      its not just the Pict tribes in Scotland, but there are many communities that hold similar values. but as we might expect, these qualities soon diminish. their purpose becomes self-defeating where our priority goes towards fulfilling the individual.

      Humanitarianism today is just viewed as another romanticists idea.
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    William Hardaway

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    Aug 11 2011: Jaque Fresco is one expert (I guess) who thinks about this in his work. He builds domes for homes because it is the most geometrically stable shape. He suggest building a dome cone blend for homes near cyclonic weather because that shape cannot be picked up by a cyclone. Pretty interesting stuff.

    Me personally though I would like to live in a world where through whatever circumstances everyone found their passion. I would also like for the news to say one good thing for every bad thing.

    • biped since1991

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      Aug 12 2011: Jaque Fresco's work sounds interesting, will look him up.

      on a second point, facilitating a system that allows everyone to find their passion would possible lead to chaos.

      i could give you one simple example; if my passion were to simply alleviate myself above others, which is often an intrinsic quality for most at some point in their lives. the system would collapse!

      Often one person’s passion conflicts with another’s idea of fulfillment.
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