Achieving a Viable Utopia

Mark Jablonowski

Chapter 8 in Managing High-Stakes Risk, 2009, pp 115-134 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract Technological dreams of a world of plenty — complete utilitarian satisfaction — can turn into nightmares when their achievement depends on incurring increased uncertainty about doom. Casting our existence in terms of these tradeoffs only acts to devalue it. What then of a workable utopia that includes safe progress as one of its goals? The two fundamental choices remain: We can do nothing, enjoy the fruits of the high life, and wish for the best (optimism), recognizing that this position may bring ultimate doom. Alternatively, we can take action to avoid catastrophe. Utopia, it would seem, depends on our ability to reconcile these two choices. Yet, given the persistence of risk dilemmas, is such a feat possible?

Keywords: Utopian Vision; Collective Planning; Clean Slate; Moral Absolute; Voluntary Return (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palchp:978-0-230-25120-5_8

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DOI: 10.1057/9780230251205_8

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