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prevent the accumulation of power in the hands of a small group, whereas traditional economic systems
are built to encourage it. Not surprisingly, that is precisely the situation we find ourselves in now. We
are desperately in need of a 'New World', and we will never achieve lasting peace unless we can wake
up and realize that we are 'One World'. It's any imposed 'Order' and 'Government' that we need to be
wary of.
This sounds a lot like Utopianism. Creating a Utopia is impossible, stupid!
A 'Utopia' is a theoretical civilization that is absolutely perfect. It would be a society in which
there are no problems to be solved, and nothing ever needs to change because everything is the best it
can possibly be. Would an RBE be a Utopian civilization? Absolutely not. Admittedly, it might have
some superficial similarities to Utopianism, in that it would be an attempt to create a society that
functions as well as possible. However, there is a huge difference between something working 'as well
as possible', and something working 'perfectly'. Perfection implies no problems or negative situations
of any kind, whereas an RBE is simply an attempt to minimize problems and negative situations. These
situations will likely still exist, and as society advances, new problems will almost certainly pop up in
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place of the ones that we solve. The purpose of an RBE is to try and make sure that there will be as few
problems as possible, but to eliminate them entirely is not realistic.
Perhaps the biggest difference between a Utopia and an RBE would be the lack of stagnation. A
Utopia would be a completely stagnant society, in which nothing would ever change or improve, since
everything is already 'perfect'. However, an RBE is a system that actively seeks to identify and improve
upon its own shortcomings, and is therefore perpetually changing. The goal of a Utopia is to achieve a
certain state that is 'perfect', whereas the goal of an RBE is to constantly improve, which requires
constant changes in state. An ever-changing society is literally the polar opposite of a Utopian society,
since change immediately implies that a state of 'perfection' has not yet been attained. Practically
speaking, there is simply no way to achieve a state of perfection, for two reasons:
1. The world 'perfect' is largely subjective. One person's definition of 'perfection' may not be the
same as another person's definition. This immediately raises the question of who decides what
'perfect' is. If society is attempting to achieve a state of perfection, whose definition will we use
to describe our goal? Right away, we can see that this kind of society is the perfect set up for a
dictatorship, where one group's definition of 'perfect' dictates the structure of society to the rest
of the population.
2. As long as our knowledge continues to change and evolve, so too would our definition of
'perfect'. For example, let's say we create a society that is as technologically advanced as
possible in every aspect. If someone comes up with a way to make computers 0.1% faster, then
our entire civilization immediately becomes technically obsolete; it can no longer be considered
'perfect'. The simple truth is that we live in a world which is always changing. Therefore, a
society that never changes cannot exist; a Utopia is simply a mathematical impossibility, like
counting to the number infinite.
So, the point of an RBE is not to achieve a certain state, and then remain there for all of eternity.
Rather, the point is to create a society that embraces constant change, and never exists in the same state
for longer than what is practical. This kind of society is decidedly non-Utopian, and is actually much
better described as an 'Extropian' society. Extropianism refers to a set of ideas in which there are no
particular beliefs or policies which are touted as absolute truths. The point of an Extropian society is
simply to use rational thinking and practicality to continually improve human life and reduce human
suffering. Once again, this is a society in which there is no specific definition of 'perfection', and no
illusions of attaining this false ideal; it encourages constant change for the better, while acknowledging
that change will always be necessary. This is the truest description of an RBE that I could possibly
give. (20)
So, is an RBE a Utopian society? No, it is the complete opposite, in that it is a society which
recognizes the need for constant change; something which goes against the very foundation of a
Utopia.
This whole thing sounds a lot like a cult. Are you trying to convert me to something?
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