Utopia/Dystopia (Briefly)

NASA

Blackburn

Utopia

From the Greek. It is philosophically considered an ideal place or state of life. (388).

The term arises from the text Utopia by Thomas More (1516). (388). Over time utopian views have been expressed within certain political movements.

Blackburn explains utopian views are problematic, as they imply overly simplistic views on human nature. (388).

Indeed, a Biblical and Reformed view on human nature based largely on the New Testament book of Romans (Chapters 1-6 especially), portrays human beings as universally corrupted by a fall from God's direct benevolent rule (Genesis 3) to sinful private, corporate and national independence. The applied atoning and resurrection work of Jesus Christ as both eternal God and perfectly holy man, being the remedy for those that are regenerated to belief (Titus 3:5).

Within my MPhil/PhD work on theodicy and the problem of evil, I do not recall the New Testament and Revelation concepts of new heaven and new earth being defined as utopia. Perhaps this is because utopia is a more modern term with negative political associations, and as well the noted problematic assumptions in regard to the actual state of human nature. Modern political utopias embrace incorrect premises and conclusions in regard to political systems.

Dystopia

Blackburn explains that this a negative utopia where instead of all things politically considered to be going well, things are not going well. Blackburn's listed examples are Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and George Orwell's 1984 within fiction.(113). Communism and Nazism would be noted non-fictional attempts at utopia, that misunderstood (misunderstand) human nature to the negative, as forms of dystopia.

From a Biblical and New Testament perspective, any human attempt at utopia, would to some degree be a dystopia, because human nature and societies have not been transformed to be Christ-like which will take place within the culminated Kingdom of God, for those who are within that Kingdom (Revelation).

BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Oxford Dictionary of Science, (2010), Sixth Edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press.