How does an examination of historical and literary utopian projects illuminate America’s effort to create a society where “all men are created equal” (Declaration of Independence)?
American historians and academics consider the period of struggle for independence and subsequent years after the independence, from the British Empire (an Imperialist force of that time), as Revolutionary Period. It is a known fact that during revolutionary periods utopian ideas emerge and develop. For instance, just before and after French Revolution, intellectuals produced literature, of massive size, which gave birth to various utopian ideas. One of the most cherished and echoed utopian concepts pertained to the responsible state. In fact, it was the concept of Responsible state, which gave birth to the concepts of natural liberty and legal liberty (Purdy).
Liberty and Equality are two most popular utopian concepts, which are radical in their foundation. It is because, in a real world, Liberty and Equality are rare. From the systematic study of history, we learn that since the beginning of organized life (human civilization), the lives of humans have been regulated in such manner that they serve the interests of the few. During the imperial times, subjects had very few rights, and their lives were regulated to benefit crown. Any right, which could undermine the interests of the crown, was never granted. These rights included Liberty and Equality, as both could have drastically reshaped socio-political and socioeconomic realities.
As empires/states became more stubborn in granting liberty and equality, these concepts became subject of progressive/revolutionary/utopian literature, in which the concepts were discussed in detail. In fact, in Marxian literature, equality was not only the main theme, but also an ultimate objective. For instance, Marx, who had drawn a detailed Marxian-utopian world in his work, opposed capitalism because it created, according to him, a segmented society, which he considered oppressive and unjust (Alderman).
In other less radical Utopian literature, about state, liberty, and equality, equality and liberty were described as a mean to various utopian objectives. Therefore, we witness that during the period of American Independence, many utopian views emerged and adopted, as it was believed that an egalitarian or utopian society was an ultimate objective. The second paragraph, of the Declaration of Independence, which states that all men are equal, provides evidence regarding the argument that American society was supposed to evolve into a utopian society, where liberty and equality were granted as rights by a responsible egalitarian state.
There quite a few examples of efforts, by state and society, to make a society where all men are equal. For instance, after the Civil War, on the direction of Abraham Lincoln, slavery was abolished, which was a step towards a utopian society. However, the changes in laws did not immediately bring changes in society and made it a more egalitarian society or a society where social justice prevailed. However, it gave direction to socio-political evolution, which gives attributes of a state.
Another such effort, which initiated by society, was the Civil Rights Movement, which ultimately compelled states to grant more rights to disfranchised communities of the United States. It is true in the beginning, the focus of the movement was African-Americans; however, the effort became comprehensive and inclusive, with time, with the objective to transform the United States into a modern-egalitarian society.
It is very evident that gradually the United States is transforming into a state, where law treats everyone equally and on merit. However, the challenge of forming a just society remains robust, as changing of social outlooks requires considerable time. Nevertheless, Utopian ideas/literature/efforts continue to influence the social-political evolution of the United States towards an egalitarian social-political system.
And how do social science research and theory show us a progression toward the goal of equality?
Equality is a broad concept, which is understood differently in different contexts. For instance, in a social context, equality has a different meaning, whereas as in economic context it has an entirely different understanding. However, social equality is associated with income inequality, which is why at certain stage social and income equalities become inseparable.
Generally, in progressive (less radical) utopian literature, the focus has been on social and legal equality. Social equality means that all members of society are equal, irrespective of their cultural background, ethnicity, race, or religion. Nevertheless, in Marxian literature, about equality, the entire focus is on income/wealth inequalities, which create a society with classes in which the privileged benefits most from the existing social-political-economic system (Purdy).
Evidence, about various forms of equality, suggests that the utopian concept of social equality does not exist in the perfect state. For instance, in a multi-cultural society, such as the United States, social equality is not an attainable objective, but rather an objective, for which society continues to strive. It is quite apparent that social inequality exists in the form of income, employment, educational or parental leave. Also, inequality continues to prevail in the form of institutional discrimination and inherent racial and cultural bias towards particular segments of society. However, this should not suggest that since independence, the United States has not progressed towards the goal of equality.
Different studies infer that not only laws, in the USA, have been amended to ensure equality, but also through various channels egalitarian concepts and perceptions have been injected into the society. These perceptions and concepts have played a vital role in various convincing segments of society that an egalitarian or modern utopian society would produce opportunities for all to live a better life.
Systematic scrutiny of evidence suggests income inequality causes various kinds of inequalities in the United States. The distribution of wealth is very imbalanced, which provides lucrative opportunities for only for very few (some are more equal than the others). Also, perception regarding the poor in the US is also yielding challenges in overcoming the issues about inequality in the United States. For instance, most of the Americans believe that those, who are poor, are poor because either they are lazy or lack initiative. They are very dismissive of the fact that some get better opportunities than the rest get, because of the inherent flaws of the system. To address all kinds of inequalities, the state must address income inequality, as it seems to be the cause of all sorts of inequalities (Purdy).
Would a modern utopia provide an effective experiment in strengthening American equality?
Modern Utopia creates a world, in which 1) the size of the government is enormously large, Men and Women are equal, and Racism is an absurd thought/attitude and wedding a sacred institution (which would cease to continue without children). Most of the concepts, which are presented in Modern Utopia, are inherently flawed. For instance, the concept of a world government is self-contradictory and impossible to implement. Even in case of the United States, a large size government would not be able to solve issues about equality. Also, large size governments tend to produce complications, of various natures, as per evidence pertaining large governments. In the United States, the size of government has adversely affected markets, industries, health care system, etc. Also, various studies suggest that when the size of government increases, states become more interfering, which fringe upon the rights of citizens.
Already American society is gradually evolving into egalitarian society, where all equal citizens and system offers equal socioeconomic and socio-political opportunities to all. Also, feminist movements have grown stronger in the last couple of decades, which have played a major role in ensuring that women are treated and paid equally, in public and private sectors (Alderman). Furthermore, the segment of society, which believes that racism is still a valid concept, in post-modern society, is evidently reducing in size.
In my view, a state cannot create a utopian society, in which equality is ensured. It is because societies are shaped by collective perceptions, and these perceptions give structure to both political and legal systems. Therefore, the emphasis must be in the shaping of perceptions in favor of egalitarian society or a utopian society.
I believe that equality is very hard/difficult objective; therefore, the emphasis must be on equity. Equity is understood as fairness and transparency. For states and its institutions, such as judiciary and policy, it is far easier to be impartial and transparent than devising a society, where all are equal. Also, equity can be achieved in a short period, whereas equality (in general) requires dedication and consistency for longer periods.
For instance, a responsible government, which is small (in size), can devise such laws and policies, which ensure equal opportunities for all. It is easy to devise a system, which is not rigged in favor a particular class or segment of society than creating a society where all are equal in every sense of the word. Therefore, the emphasis should be on equity rather than equality. In fact, when we study utopian literature, in detail, we learn that subtle emphasis is about equity, rather than on equality. Radical literature, such as Marxian literature, emphasizes based on equality, which is considered improbable, as it contradicts human nature (Huriot and Bourdeau-Lepage).
Humans have an inherent bias for a just society, which produces opportunities for all. The birth of organized life and state are prime examples of it. However, in human history, there is very little evidence regarding likeness/fondness for equality. In recent history, experiments about creating a society of equals have been conducted at the state level. In the former Soviet Union, the concepts of equality have been an experiment with (state implemented these concepts); however, it failed to produce desired results. Therefore, the emphasis should be on equity, rather than equality.
Work Cited
Alderman, Naomi. “Utopian thinking: how to build a truly feminist society.” The Gaurdian. The Gaurdian, 6 February 2017. Web. 24 April 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/06/utopian-thinking-build-truly-feminist-society.
Huriot, Jean-Marie and Lise Bourdeau-Lepage. “Utopia, Equality and Liberty: The impossible ideal.” Utopia, Equality and Liberty 5.2013 (2013): 1-17.
Purdy, Jedediah. “Why Some Americans Are More Equal Than Others” The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast, 2 September 2014. Web. 24 April 2018. https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-some-americans-are-more-equal-than-others.
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