My Preferred School of Thought

Out of all the suggestions that Robinson provides, I would consider myself more of an anti-anti-utopian thinker. While I do agree with the usefulness of utopian, dystopian, and anti-utopian thought, I think now more than ever is the time to go into action and make noticeable choices that head toward a utopian society. I think the strength of this thinking lies in the fact that the utopian status is simply the end goal that we should strive for; this does not mean that the steps we take to reach that goal do not matter. As Robinson argued, the other schools of thought such as dystopian thinking are beginning to outlive their use, one example Robinson points out is the saturation of dystopian stories which contributes to negligence. While there is always a use for dystopian thought and speculation as a mouthpiece to warn about what we should avoid, I consider them more like guidelines to follow/avoid in the overall construction of society. Ultimately, our goal should be to start putting in the work needed to succeed in the intended purposes of utopian and dystopian thinking, which are to serve as models to create our own just societies.

A rather odd analogy that I think can relate to this is that building a society is like a daunting minesweeper puzzle. The answer is simply waiting there in the folds of the puzzle, much like how Robinson says that a satisfactory world for all of humanity is possible. Our job as societal builders should be to avoid dystopian qualities like as if they were the bombs in the puzzle, and as the puzzle opens up the image of utopia becomes more clear. Anti-anti-dystopian thinking represents the act of navigating this puzzle. It represents a larger picture that I think is the best way to approach an ideal society.

Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.