Summary
The concept of an ideal society has been extensively discussed, for it is every man’s dream. The subject, however, lacks a perfect explanation, and there exist numerous perceptions from various individuals in the modern world. In this article, I present my model of an ideal society which possesses key features such as equality and justice, peace, and economic security. Equality and justice ensure that people are fairly treated, and no one is deemed to be lesser or superior to others. Peace ensures that people understand each other and that conflicts are solved through non-violent means. And lastly, economic security develops a stable government that provides the members of the society with resources and guarantees individuals’ security from internal and external threats such as war crimes, and ethnic cleansing, among others (Doyle and Mill 113).
Economic Security and the Government
My ideal society is a thriving economy founded on a sustainable and strong rate of growth and dynamic creation of employment. It is well aware of the means to operate, control and build the production instruments. It also possesses the ability to develop, adapt and understand new techniques in technology. It, therefore, passes this knowledge and skill to its youth, both formally and through apprenticeship. Individuals are hired for jobs only through merit and competence levels and fired as well as demoted based on performance.
Power in society is supremely vested in its members. The leaders only acquire power when they are directly voted for by the society’s majority in a free and fair election. Voting is, therefore, a right, and only adults are permitted to participate in elections. Individuals running for elections abide by election laws and fully comply with the requirements of the elections governing body. The powers of elected leaders are clearly defined and certainly limited. Besides their responsibilities as elected officials, leaders are bound by other provisions of the law just as other citizens.
The power mentioned above is administered through three branches of the government: the judiciary, executive, and legislature. This separation of power is necessary to prevent its abuse and safeguard freedom for every citizen. The judiciary’s task is to administer independent and impartial justice. It ensures that individuals comply with the laws. On the other hand, the executive implements laws through agencies like the police and armed forces. The overall leader in the society will be the president, who is also an executive member. Finally, the legislature will be tasked with passing laws that govern the society. It formulates the society’s will and bestows on it legal power and force. Other duties would include establishing the society’s budget and confirming appointments in the office.
The society’s government guarantees the citizens’ basic rights and freedoms which include, among others, the right to life, a fair trial, liberty and security, freedom of expression, of thought, and freedom from slavery, and torture. In a nutshell, society would be a true democracy. German philosopher and sociologist Karl Marx believed that “The purpose of government is to assure to man the enjoyment of his natural and imprescriptible rights” (46).
He would consequently be delighted with my model society, which also safeguards its citizens’ rights and freedoms. The government also guarantees gender equality and ensures there is no economic discrimination against persons of a particular race, religion, or sexual orientation, among others. It also emphasizes research and offers no room for speculation or superstition. Therefore, it has institutions, both social and political, that are ideal for achieving its wide-ranging economic objectives.
Even though the economy would be a free market, some government regulations, such as the use of credit controls, would be essential in preventing economic fluctuations. As such, the government would regulate some of society’s economic activities. A legitimate government would also exist to maintain law and order in society. In this capacity and through its law enforcement agencies, it detects, prevents, investigates, and prosecutes offenders as stipulated by its laws. The agencies also gather intelligence to prevent any incidents that might threaten law and order.
Features such as social unity, public scrutiny, and autonomy make the society more attractive and therefore be incorporated. In social unity, the members of the society work alongside one another to achieve societal goals. In public scrutiny, the citizens are watchdogs to those holding government offices. They effectively monitor the activities of all the branches of the government and ensure everyone is responsible. In autonomy, certain regions are allowed the freedom to self-govern even though the overall constitutional framework of the country is still preserved.
Equality and Justice
My model society is fair and just, and the aforementioned features are reflected in its institutions and their activities. A fair and just society is one wherein its members respect the rights of one another and protect and improve their freedoms. Also, in such a society, elected individuals maintain justice through the fair allocation of income. These elected individuals are tasked with making decisions and implementing policies, some of which may be questioned by society’s members.
Martin Luther King Jr. also supports the idea mentioned above of an equal and just society in Letter from a Birmingham Jail. The letter was written at a crucial and decisive moment in the black community’s struggle to overcome centuries-old oppression in the United States of America. As he addresses those who accuse him of causing trouble in Birmingham, he says, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly” (3). Therefore, society would not be biased towards a certain group of people while favoring another.
In the ideal society, one’s sex would not be a barrier to full participation in one desired activity in the society. As Lama and Alt assert, “Equality and equal opportunity between women and men is critical for a better world” (48). Thus, women would not be limited from realizing their full potential due to equality in society. For instance, women would still bear the burden of childbirth, but after the child’s birth, men would play a vital role in the child’s upbringing. As both men and women share in raising their children, women, in particular, can allocate time for work and family. In turn, women get to have steady careers just as men.
Society would equally allocate resources, services, and opportunities available to its population. It offers every individual access to opportunities to improve their lives. Resources such as quality healthcare and education would be equally provided for all the members of the society to improve the quality of their lives. Also, institutions such as banks offer loans on equal terms to those in need. In the present society, such offers are present except that some people are excluded. In most societies, people of color and even those in the lower classes of the social ladder as treated differently. Until all these issues are addressed, contemporary society is still miles off my ideal society.
Peace
Peace is essential for the success of any meaningful activity. Since an ideal society strives for development, justice, and law and order, peace is a prerequisite. My model society emphasizes the content and conditions of peace. It encourages a practical and flexible process characterized by participation and dialogue. Conflicts are solved in a cooperative and mutually understanding manner. Therefore, the model society focuses its resources on developing mindsets that can easily transition from conflict to dialogue, violence to peace, and force to reason.
Even though there is still a long way to go, the idea of a peaceful society has been embraced in the contemporary world, and efforts have been made to realize it. As a huge advocate for negotiation and non-violence, Dr. Martin Luther King stated that “Non-violent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue” (5). Throughout his life, he advanced the idea of peaceful approaches to attaining one’s goals and would, as a result, be impressed with this idea being incorporated into the model society.
A peaceful, stable, and thriving society is also achievable when individuals make every effort to become better (Lama and Alt 46). They can begin by acknowledging the humanity in those they perceive to be their enemies, which would involve educating the heart and training the spirit. In addition, war and armed conflicts will be avoided as resources are allocated for peace initiatives. The message would be loud and clear that if there is any peace, society has to prepare for it. Just as there is a ministry for security and defense, there would be a ministry for peace.
While it invests in impressive military academies, it needs to introduce obligatory peace education at all levels of its school system. And as it develops new weapons for armed conflict and conducts research for national security, it would support peace research to help in understanding conflicts and how to solve them through non-violence.
Works Cited
Doyle, Michael W., and John S. Mill. Question of Intervention: John Stuart Mill and the responsibility to protect. Yale University Press, 2017.
King Jr, Martin L. Letter from Birmingham Jail. Penguin, 2018.
Lama, Dalai, and Franz Alt. An Appeal to the World: The way to Peace in a Time of Division. William Collins, 2017.
Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. Collected Works of Karl Marx (illustrated). 1st ed., Delphi Classics, 2016.