In the having mode, one's relationship to the world is "one of possessing and owning, one in which to make everybody and everything, including , property" (p. 24). Possession extends beyond things to knowledge, people, ideas, feelings. Our identity becomes that which we eat (Wagyu beef),  what we buy (Mercedes-benz),  and what we consume (only the top brands, the brands with vibe, etc.). In this mode, we are merely a shell.

In the being-mode,  we are two things.

1. Being as aliveness: we are alive, engaged,   and connected; the mode  "in which one neither has anything nor craves to have something, but is joyous, employs one's faculties productively, is oned to the world" (pp. 18–19).
2. Being as essence: — from the Indo-European root es: "that which is authentic, consistent, true" (p. 24). To say something is refers to its true nature, not its deceptive surface. In LP terms, a fully functioning individual in being-mode is aligned, connected, and expressing their true essence, their essential beingness, that which you  really are. 

The goal of life is to be much, not to have much.

Download To Have or to Be.

• the reduction of labour
• small communities, not cities, which function as a "large and affectionate family in which everyone would play parental and filial roles (very Indigenous)
• the reduction of consumption
• an "annual wage."
• community socialization (it takes a village) where everybody is involved in childcare 
• the significance of environment, including early environment, in determining behaviour
• Aesthetic needs: "A world which has been made beautiful and exciting by artists, composers, writers, and performers is as important for survival as one which satisfies biological need"
• Leisure needs, but authentic creative leisure (I need to add this to needs theory)
• the reduction of government devoted primarily to "health, education, and welfare."

  The way forward? "What is needed is not a new political leader or a new kind of government but further knowledge about human behavior and new ways of applying that knowledge to the design of cultural practices." (italics added)

It is now widely recognized that great changes must be made in the American way of life. Not only can we not face the rest of the world while consuming and polluting as we do, we cannot for long face ourselves while acknowledging the violence and chaos in which we live. The choice is clear: either we do nothing and allow a miserable and probably catastrophic future to overtake us, or we use our knowledge about human behavior to create a social environment in which we shall live productive and creative lives and do so without jeopardizing the chances that those who follow us will be able to do the same. Something like a Walden Two would not bea bad start." Jan, 1976 

Download Walden Two

That’s just not true.

Utopian thought is not a fringe, anti-science, activity. It is not the province of spaced-out idealists or starry-eyed dreamers. On the contrary, Utopian thinking is one of the oldest, most persistent, and I would argue most respectable intellectual traditions on the planet. There’s been so much of it that we can speak of “waves” of Utopian thought. It has been with us for centuries, millennia, really, carried forward by philosophers, scientists, psychologists, sociologists, artists, and mystics alike. Indeed, some of the world’s most rigorous and influential minds in human history, and to be fair some of the world’s not-so-rigorous mind, in have devoted serious effort to imagining and designing the Good Society.

In this forum category we'll consider and discuss Utopian thought, what it is, why it emerges, it's content, etc. I'll develop a short reading, viewing, and listening lists to go along with this area. Feel free to suggest books for those interested in getting grounded in this area.

For the academically inclined, let us briefly consider the purpose and structure of Utopian thought. (the below is draft)

The Purpose of Utopian Thought

Widdicombe, 1992

The Structure of Utopian Thought

• Superior - creation of new social orders and governmental structure (Mohl)
• Inferior - reform of said social order
• Political (Kleinwachter)
• Economic

• the reduction of labour
• small communities, not cities, which function as a "large and affectionate family in which everyone would play parental and filial roles (very Indigenous)
• the reduction of consumption
• an "annual wage."
• community socialization (it takes a village) where everybody is involved in childcare 
• the significance of environment, including early environment, in determining behaviour
• Aesthetic needs: "A world which has been made beautiful and exciting by artists, composers, writers, and performers is as important for survival as one which satisfies biological need"
• Leisure needs, but authentic creative leisure (I need to add this to needs theory)
• the reduction of government and its devotion primarily to "health, education, and welfare."

For Skinner, and for many others, utopia is grounded on the complete satisfaction of human needs. 

The way forward? "What is needed is not a new political leader or a new kind of government but further knowledge about human behavior and new ways of applying that knowledge to the design of cultural practices." (italics added)

It is now widely recognized that great changes must be made in the American way of life. Not only can we not face the rest of the world while consuming and polluting as we do, we cannot for long face ourselves while acknowledging the violence and chaos in which we live. The choice is clear: either we do nothing and allow a miserable and probably catastrophic future to overtake us, or we use our knowledge about human behavior to create a social environment in which we shall live productive and creative lives and do so without jeopardizing the chances that those who follow us will be able to do the same. Something like a Walden Two would not be a bad start." Jan, 1976 

Download

Rules

• This is an LP discussion space. Please stay on topic. Posts that do not contribute to the thread topic or that stray too far from the main theme will be edited or deleted. 
• Please be respectful to others at all times.