Letter from Utopia

The idea of the perfected world, from which all difficulties and anomalies are removed, is a persistent one, attractive to individuals who feel they already have what it takes, and repellent to those who see in our diversity and interdependence the foundations of adaptive, creative and sustainable societies.

Humans value music, humor, romance, art, play, dance, conversation, philosophy, literature, adventure, discovery, food and drink, friendship, parenting, sport, nature, tradition, and spirituality, among many other things. There is no guarantee that any of these would remain adaptive. Perhaps what will maximize fitness will be nothing but nonstop hi

It’s what matters most to you. • Why are we here? • What is the meaning or purpose of life? • What is the relationship between the individual and others? • Where do family, country, and the rest of the world fit in? • What is good, and what is evil? • Is there a higher power, God, or something transcendent, and if so, what impact does this have on

Predicting that humankind will try to gain immortality, bliss and divinity is much like predicting that people building a house will want a lawn in their front yard. It sounds very likely. But once you say it out loud, you can begin to think about alternatives.