Have you ever heard about rat Utopia experiment? What are your thoughts about it? Do you think it's findings are applicable to human? For those who don't know about rat utopia experiment. It was a series of experiment done on rats where they created a utopia for them. They were kept in enclosed spaces in which they were given unlimited access to food and water, enabling unfettered population growth. Four breeding pairs of mice were placed them inside a "utopia". As the population grew, behavioural patterns of mice were disrupted. In short, it was seen that some mice could not eat alone but began to view feeding as a community activity. They would only eat in company of other mice. There was a behavioural sink. What's more scary is when the population peaked at 2,200 mice in Utopia, abnormal behavioural was seen such as destructive behaviour, mothers abandoning their young ones, refusal to mating and homosexuality. By 600th day the population was on brink of extinction, though physically able to reproduce, the mice forget how to engage in courtship. So what made this happen? It was Utopia. They had everything, food , shelter and protection. What made them go extinct. Is Utopia really that good that you forgot your morality? I read a infinite game novel yesterday, where this experiment was mentioned in one arc and it made me think whether we humans would ever face such situations in distant far away future? Ps. Although I study Psychology, but sometimes I get really scared by such experiments.
Isn't it already happening IRL? Some people have it so good that they are making problems and blaming everyone else.
What you described doesn't seem to be a utopia, at least not in the sense More described it in his seminal book. The Utopians did fight, there were times they almost got wiped out and they did put some thought into expanding their territories; they were pretty dictatorial in what use they believed land should be put to and anyone who didn't agree with their views on getting maximum productivity out of the soil would be driven out of their own territories. They even had slavery (as a form of punishment mostly rather than a type of racism), famuli (bondsmen), etc. Besides, the family unit had a prominent position, patriarchy was prevalent, euthanasia was legalized, even encouraged under certain circumstances, and so on. Unlimited food, resources and breeding security isn't exactly Utopian. P.S. To get an idea of how an actual 'Utopia' would be 'managed', read Brave New World.
Yeah this doesn’t seem like a utopia more than golden finger paw mice. Humans tend to be at odds with something. Pretty much always; if not the environment, then themselves.
I'd fit pretty well in a Utopia. I don't question things when I'm all comfy and peaceful. I'm not looking for struggles. I just want to be safe and warm in my corner, reading my non-banned hardcore BL books, get a livable wage that leaves me enough money to travel and spoil myself, and own a nice home with quiet and considerate neighbors. Clean air, water and food. Maybe a state-assigned child over 3 years of age. I don't mind.