Idealism, Utopianism, and Inescapable Reality

We have numerous reminders to indicate that we live in an imperfect world, starting with expressions like, “Nobody's perfect.” Thinking about half full or half empty glasses certainly suggests that we must deal with glasses that are often less than full; in other words, too often in life something is missing. The often uttered words, “I'm bored,” is another hint that things are less than pleasing, somehow, far too much of the time. If such ordinary reminders weren't enough, one need only to recall the news headline to know that this world is messed up, not just the United States but everywhere.

The reality is troubling to many youth, who are idealists by nature. Unless their sense of rightness has already been disturbed by tragedy, injury, illness, or abuse, it is natural for the young to expect things to be good, right, or at least pleasant. No one intends to mislead them; adults just try to save the ugliness for a later moment. We use euphemisms for death: “Grandma went away;” “Kitty is in a better place.” We avoid telling children about things that might upset, worry, or frighten them. Parents even hide their own mistakes and character flaws without realizing that doing so is more harmful than good. All in all, it's probably a good thing that a person gets to grow up in a protected environment and imagine the world is a good, safe place...except that many times they don't!

After all, the world is filled with things that are terrible and dangerous. Facing this reality can be an awful experience for anyone, but especially to the very young; idealism can easily crumble into despair, leaving a even a young person feeling hopeless, miserable, and afraid. I marvel at the resilience and capacity for healing by which some are able to recover from the horrible experiences that have brought painful reality into their lives. Others cannot seem to deal with the mere knowledge of a broken world or a flawed humanity. Some take refuge in utopianism, in the belief that, with the right system or ruling principles, a perfect world can be created out of this imperfect one.

Since I began writing 10 months ago, I've found others exploring the same subject. In Money, Greed, and God, Jay Richards lists 8 myths about capitalism, including the “Nirvana Myth” and presents a quite stunning indictment against Marxist utopianism, based on the 85 to 100 million dead from the attempt. I've felt portrayals in books like BraveNew World (which I reread, last month, and was stunned at its relevance) and 1984 were more than sufficient and far less costly than the actual attempts. Dystopian films like The Hunger Games and dystopian books such as The Giver illustrate the evil and injustice that finally overwhelm efforts to create a “fair and just” as well as “safe” society.

Many have examined the arguments for and against utopian dreams, some that go back as far as ancient Greece, and all invariably requiring some kind of authoritarian control. One of the more recent and perhaps the latest thorough-going analysis may be Mark Levin's Ameritopia. I have yet to read it, but I sense that Andrew McCarthy has captured it well and I highly recommend you read this comprehensive review. It seems to summarize well the history of the debate represented by a number of writers and philosophers, all the way back to Plato's Republic, which I read in my college sociology class (I suspect that today sociology often means the “study of socialism” more than its original “study of society”).

Two things, in my own opinion, turn utopian ideals into dystopian reality. One is universal sin; call it “man's inhumanity to man,” if you prefer. Whatever you call it, the idea of man's inherent goodness is itself a utopian myth. Socialist utopians attempt to push back individual evil onto the environment, in their minds the corrupt society that has not yet fixed the individual, the family or the community, while ignoring that those constructs are nothing more than groups of sinful individuals. As a result, a second problem overlooked or ignored by utopians, the tyranny of the sinful individual with power, is no cure for anything! In fact, the creation of a society or state-run utopia—requiring the ceding of power to those in charge—guarantees that the worst kinds of sinful individuals will be attracted to that power to gratify their material greed and thirst for power. What most amazes me is the ease with which idealistic utopians ignore this rather obvious reality. Of course, for some it is they themselves who will guide the perfect society they would create, and they are or choose to be oblivious to their own shortcomings, weaknesses, flaws, or perhaps even evil.

Socialist-leaning idealists love to attack the “greed” of capitalists. Yet they blithely ignore the greed of the thinkers and leaders they support, perhaps even their own. Shifting attention away from the individual and individual failings to the greater society doesn't make those failings disappear; indeed, ignoring such genuine individual failing gives them even greater license to practice them at the expense of the society which they are supposed to steward to the greater good. Instead, they typically manage society to their own good! How many like the USSR, North Korea, China, Cuba, Cambodia, or Venezuela are necessary for idealistic utopian socialists to see the painful but more than evident reality?!

One clearly well-established result is the destruction of incentive. Call it selfishness, part of universal sin, but people just don't work as hard for the “greater good!” Men and women work to improve their own lives and the lives of their families; they want to “get ahead,” save up for a rainy day, and see their children better off than they were. Is this greed? It seems more like a biological imperative to me, a survival skill, but one that can be twisted in either of two ways, that may come from psychological trauma or from sin. One is a compulsion to save without limit, so that enough is never enough. The other is surrender where, feeling defeated at every turn, there no longer seems any point in striving. Utopians think to “solve” these by taking from one and giving it to the other without recognizing that doing so creates in everyone unmotivated despair. Regarding wealth and economics, without incentive to work, less is produced, leaving less wealth to share, so everyone becomes poorer (except for the “managers” at the top who are of course sure to provide well for themselves!). Again, simply look at history. Reality may be unpleasant, but ignoring it only brings more unpleasantness.

Capitalism in a context of individual liberty, protected by reasonable laws against theft and fraud, works because producers and sellers must accommodate users and buyers who seek both quality and affordability in a competitive marketplace. If a price is too high or the quality less than desired, buyers will seek better quality and price from a different producer. Greed may exist, but greed doesn't matter as long as laws protecting competition and freedom are impartially enforced. A greedy seller may try to raise his prices or cheapen his product, but producers with better goods and prices will take his customers. Capitalism is a real world system, pragmatic without utopian pretense except for unread, naive do-gooders attempting to “fix” it. Reality has proven this case starting with most of the United States' history and including places like Hong Kong, Singapore, Ireland, and India. Both the USSR and China took capitalistic steps to give people incentives to work and produce for their own personal benefit.

What is greed? Most seem universally to agree that it is a bad thing, at least when we see it in others. Like most sins, it is an exaggerated or twisted version of a good thing. Paul tells the Galatian church to help each other, but he also says each person should take care of himself, urging both self-reliance and compassion for those in need. Greed turns self-reliance into selfishness at the expense of compassion for others, as others may even become the victims of greedy people. Self-sustaining is appropriate, but self-serving is not. Idealists prefer to ignore the sin or at least organize it out of existence. A realist works to cope with it, deal with it directly, convert it if possible, and, if necessary, control or punish it. Since greed is an attitude, Christians and others try to change it through conversion and rational argument. Then, we pass laws to deal with greed-driven actions that cause harm to others.

One of the odder effects of utopian idealism is perception. Many people feel good about themselves because they “care” about the less fortunate. Such people often come to assume that their perception of themselves as aware and compassionate is sufficient, especially if they vocally support what they perceive as “making a difference” whether it actually does make a difference or not! Jay Richards calls it the “Piety Myth” and illustrates it by the person who buys “fair trade” coffee at Starbucks while he drinks his high-priced coffee beverage. He feels good about his slightly more expensive purchase and his comparatively minor contribution to paying poor coffee growers a better price, but he never actually bothers to inquire whether his support for “fair trade” coffee is helping or, in fact as is often the case, hurting those growers. American have ceded considerable freedom, choice, and tax dollars to their government on the basis of such perceptions while problems like poverty, both domestic and foreign, have actually worsened in part from those very actions. Only unthinking idealists or self-absorbed, uncaring boobs could feel good about themselves for giving over genuine, first-hand efforts into the care of smooth talking leaders who proclaim their own compassion and promise to make things better without actually keeping their promises! Promises are cheap, often broken, rarely given sincerely; multiplying ever-expanding programs looks good, provides high-paying jobs for bureaucrats, spends tons of money, but ignores both failure and counter-productive results. That's a mighty high price for self-congratulatory perception!

Idealists are typically motivated by resentment or guilt. Baby-boomers became counter-culture hippies feeling guilty for their remarkable prosperity, which incidentally gave them the freedom not to work but rather to protest. Prior to the Twentieth Century, people had little time for such foolishness because they were too busy working just to survive. Utopian Marxist rhetoric gave fuel to a belief that someone else caused economic suffering, even as prosperity was beginning to mitigate that very suffering. The largely classless, upwardly mobile society in the United States was improving life for everyone, but rather than work to share in the economic progress, some chose rather to become victims and look for handouts. Ignoring the opportunity that people from all around the world admire, they demanded payback, a better system, and the right to be irresponsible, economically and personally. In their view, utopia would guarantee prosperity for all without any moral limitations. The cultural landscape today is filled with the less than ideal results, both moral and economic.

Heaven exists in only one place, and that is with God. Creating heaven on earth is a utopian dream that has produced many a genuine nightmare. We have yet to see one that works, and I am confident we never will on this sinful earth. Yet people are determined to try, despite the history of abysmal failure costing millions of lives. Both third world and first world are susceptible to the machinations of crooks talking the talk of idealists but walking the walk of despots. Some are ugly like Khadaffi; others are handsome and well-spoken. Many wonder how a runt like Hans Schicklegruber became “der Fuhrer;” indeed, it is amazing how people are willing to follow unthinkingly anyone who says the right things.

I sometimes wonder if I am capable of being misled into following a Hitler or a Castro. I don't think I am. I ask too many questions. I want to know how their promises will work. I am not impressed with slogans and empty rhetoric (“Hope and change?” Give me a break!). I look for integrity, honesty, and virtue, but they are hard to find. I've heard both preachers and politicians who make fine speeches without saying much of anything. As a Christian I am predisposed to reject idolatry, so I rarely become a “fan” or a “disciple” of anyone; my admiration is limited to a comparative few, and I don't “worship” them! I cannot see myself screaming with enthusiasm for any celebrity; I'm not sufficiently impressed with anyone to be nervous to meet them. I'm not an idealist. I have no icons who represent the views I most follow (other than Christ himself of course), and I'm quite aware if the imperfections of those I do admire to some degree. Nobody's perfect, no system of thought is 100% true to reality (other than the one revealed in the Bible which we understand imperfectly), my thinking isn't perfect, and I'm nowhere near perfect as a person. No utopian idealism here...only a natural bit of optimism with a large dose of reality!
(Updated 02/20/19, 08/16/19)