Given that this is all pretty subjective, what ought a more perfect union look like?
I would say something about a society that serves the greater good, except that 'the greater good' rings all sorts of alarm bells. That is, people can justify all sorts of horrible things so long as it serves "the greater good". (I get flashbacks of the movie Hot Fuzz, though the point has been made elsewhere.)
I could get into a long discussion on ethical dilemmas, particularly the rather famous Trolley Problem and variants such as the one with the fat man. Suffice it to say, this utopia should serve the greater good so long as (or while acknowledging that) the greater good involves the utmost respect for the free will and autonomy of the individual, and does not involve crossing ethical lines such as murder in the name of that greater good.
All of which could spur endless debate, which I don't want to get bogged down in right now. Rather, I want to focus more on the greater good (with the acknowledged limitations/caveats).
A society that benefits it's citizens the most is one where the most people are able to become their best self. (Again, that is loaded with so many subjective statements we could spend hours debating it).
What is our "best self"? How do we get there? All of that is tricky, in and of itself, though I think recent research on happiness gives us some clue. That is, we want people to feel happy, feel a sense of mastery and connectedness, empowered, living up to their full potential, etc. and so on and so forth.
The only problem is that there are so many, many different ways people can be developed in order to achieve that. Some people, for example, hate feelings rushed and pressured and perform best in a supportive and nurturing environment. Others swear up and down that they perform their best when they feel their backs are against a wall and that the pressure is on.
What works for one person doesn't work for another. Which is why I imagine the solution we grope for is one that offers a variety of custom-made options. All of which is horribly difficult to do, especially in bureaucratic environments that require standardization and consistency.
I would say something about a society that serves the greater good, except that 'the greater good' rings all sorts of alarm bells. That is, people can justify all sorts of horrible things so long as it serves "the greater good". (I get flashbacks of the movie Hot Fuzz, though the point has been made elsewhere.)
I could get into a long discussion on ethical dilemmas, particularly the rather famous Trolley Problem and variants such as the one with the fat man. Suffice it to say, this utopia should serve the greater good so long as (or while acknowledging that) the greater good involves the utmost respect for the free will and autonomy of the individual, and does not involve crossing ethical lines such as murder in the name of that greater good.
All of which could spur endless debate, which I don't want to get bogged down in right now. Rather, I want to focus more on the greater good (with the acknowledged limitations/caveats).
A society that benefits it's citizens the most is one where the most people are able to become their best self. (Again, that is loaded with so many subjective statements we could spend hours debating it).
What is our "best self"? How do we get there? All of that is tricky, in and of itself, though I think recent research on happiness gives us some clue. That is, we want people to feel happy, feel a sense of mastery and connectedness, empowered, living up to their full potential, etc. and so on and so forth.
The only problem is that there are so many, many different ways people can be developed in order to achieve that. Some people, for example, hate feelings rushed and pressured and perform best in a supportive and nurturing environment. Others swear up and down that they perform their best when they feel their backs are against a wall and that the pressure is on.
What works for one person doesn't work for another. Which is why I imagine the solution we grope for is one that offers a variety of custom-made options. All of which is horribly difficult to do, especially in bureaucratic environments that require standardization and consistency.
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