Utopia - A place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions ("Utopia").
Don't we all have fantasies of a perfect world in our heads? Maybe it's just me, but I often picture what the world would be like if laws were perfect; if children were brought up in just the right way to become perfect adults; if poverty didn't exist.
As I read Plato's Republic, I am struck by the detail with which Socrates and his colleagues devise a perfect civic system. They point out what they see as flaws in society and argue the best way to create a world with no flaws.
A friend describes to me, recently, one of his favorite pastimes; fantasy football. He explained to me how he chooses the best players for his team based on how they have played in the past and how he predicts their performance to be in the future. His goal is to choose players who will score the most points each week and ultimately have the best football season.
To me, this is very similar to what I see in The Republic. Socrates and the others are putting together all the best "players" or components of civilization for the perfect city. They draft a team; choosing the best methods of rearing young citizens. Socrates is starting from scratch; creating what he envisions as the flawless city where everything is as it should be. The flaw in this thinking may be that as much as we may strive for perfection in life, we can never fully attain this kind of utopia.
We live in a fallen world. Sin made a perfect life impossible. In the beginning, the best fantasy football team was a reality. Humans lived in the garden of Eden where every need was provided for. There was no hunger; no struggle. The world was in perfect harmony until sin entered the picture. Now we live in a world that is separated from God, separated from any chance at perfect harmony except through Jesus Christ. Any attempt to regain the utopia that was Eden is lost until Jesus returns.
The fact that a perfect society is unattainable does not stop us from wanting it. We are always searching for ways to make life better. This is no different for Socrates. What makes the perfect city? For Socrates, the important things were evident. I wonder, if I were able to create my perfect world, what I would include? How would I build my fantasy team?
"Utopia." Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utopia. Accessed 28 Sep. 2020.
Commented on Haley's and Braylan's posts.
I never thought to describe The Republic with an analogy comparing it to a fantasy football team, but somehow, the analogy works. By cherry-picking only what he wanted, Socrates was just like someone choosing players. The problem though, is that fantasy football ignores how this fantasy team would actually act. For example, what if one of the players doesn't like another? This would impact the performance of the team as a whole if this theoretical team were made real. I believe that is something that Socrates is falling victim to.
ReplyDeleteIn the theme of fantasy football, it's interesting to think about the fact that there are innumerable different teams created by individuals, and yet they all have their own standards and reasons for why theirs is the "best one". I bet that if everyone described their perfect world, it would be just like those different teams - everyone has one, they're all different, but everyone claims that theirs is the best. This is why I'm so glad that Heaven wasn't made by humans!
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