The Utopia of a Sustainable Planet

Human history is ridden with dreams of utopias. Ideas and visions outlining societies or communities that are free from faults and flaws, running perfectly according to plan. There is no shortage of examples. Many are political, some religious and others stacked somewhere in between. Plato (428-348 BCE) presented a utopia that appeared to be an improved version of the society it was compared to. Here the ideal city (Kallipolis), ruled by supremely enlightened philosophers, would provide the necessary services and constraints so that just and good human beings could develop and thrive. In contrast, early 20th century communism proposed a utopia which was radically different from the grim industrial reality it rose from – a place with no suppression, a direct democracy and where the proverb «From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” would be the guiding principle». It can be said that both visions seemed feasible, but that they failed in making the transition from ideas to reality, although ardent attempts were made. Using an ‘ideal world’ to motivate change is an exercise that has shadowed human history for millennia, whereas the concept itself can be dated more accurately.