In his “Dystopias Now,” Kim Stanley Robinson encourages utopian thinking as a way to overcome a dystopia. According to the Merriam-Webster, utopia can be defined as “a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions.” Although a utopian society describes a perfect state, perfection is a subjective term. For instance, one’s view of perfection may not agree with another person’s idea of it. With that being said, I do not completely agree with Robinson. Having a utopian mindset could help make the world a better place, but it would not eliminate the dystopian elements of the world. Because perfection is subjective, there are an infinite amount of possibilities in “making the world a better place.” Utopian thinking among each individual would result in numerous efforts of a “perfect” society. Therefore, the purpose of utopian thinking is contradicting in a way that it would further contribute to the dystopian society, instead of actually improving it. In addition, Robinson’s suggestion of utopian thinking indicates the possibility of achieving a utopia. I disagree with this implication because I do not believe that humanity could ever achieve a utopian society. One’s attempt to achieve utopia is just a reflection of a dystopian society.
