The Utility of Utopias

The utility of utopias rests upon the fact that much of human action, individual and collective, is purposive. Certain intellectual stances-such as analysis of social action in static systems-preclude attention to sequences; and even the theory of social evolution gives scant room to deliberate change. Deliberate change, however, is increasingly characteristic of the contemporary world, and that is how utopias as aspirations for the future come into play. Utopias figure especially prominently in social revolutions and in the ideologies of new nations. The possible roles of the sociologist with reference to deliberate change range from the completely disengaged observer to the engaged participant. The value problem is alleviated by the circumstance that common values across cultural systems are becoming increasingly evident. These common values are both materialistic and institutional. Planning a superior future is constrained by current circumstances, but wide latitude is still available in the choice of courses of action.