The word ideal involves thought and speaks of what is conceived as perfect and exists only in the idea. That is why idealistic people always have ideas, but often fail to realise them properly. This is because life and, on a smaller scale, the local environment do not always allow it. After all, existence is not only valid for a living being; it is chaotic and involves randomness.
In a Latin story written as early as 1516, Thomas More wrote about an imaginary island of legal, social and political perfection. A work of fiction and socio-political satire, it was published in English in 1551. The title of the book is the first use of a word that is now a household term. Utopia. Although the word literally means “nowhere”, it has taken on a form meaning "imaginary and ideal place".
In fact, the word utopia seems to have a positive meaning. This is because it is thought to be written with the Greek prefix -eu, which means “good”. But this is a misuse. So much so that this confusion of meaning is reinforced by the emergence of an opposite meaning of the word. But utopias are not good, nor do they have to be. They are even unwelcome in the political context of the stage of history.
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Ironically, these impossible utopias tend to contain their own contradictions. Hence the word “dystopia”, which adds to the confusion of meanings. For this reason, dystopias have also been adopted as “imaginary bad places”.
We have said that in every utopia there is a dystopia that is trying to emerge, because while each of them takes on meaning according to the society and system it forms, the most important factor is the human being. When we say that life is chaotic, we can see the reflection of this in the process of societies. While the range of meaning created by utopia expands day by day with the changing desires and ideas over time, it also reveals the differences and contradictory situations within itself. When it begins to move in the other directions, we encounter the dystopia within it.
Thomas More’s “Utopia” is therefore no more than a dystopia.
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Let us now observe in reality, not in thought. The most fundamental component of a perfect world is personal freedom. Although none of us live in such a world, I think our aim would be to take steps, individually or socially, not to make it worse than it is. So it would be much healthier for everyone if both remained in works of fiction.
Speaking of dystopian works — if you have come across any of them — in general terms, we encounter worlds that are far from affluence and prosperity, where survival anxiety is driven, where people are emotionally overwhelmed or where various ordinary needs are restricted. This genre interests me because, unlike utopia, which is impossible, we are talking about fiction, which is more possible to be drawn into.
I’m not saying it’s a good thing, but who has ever found the time they were in particularly positive? If we had a machine that could take us to any time in history, many of us would want to experience it. But what if we had to live where we were going, would we really be able to? Since each time period has its own differences and adaptations, it makes the most sense to accept the time period we are in and to develop it. When I think like this, I remember that our time, whatever its difficulties, is just a short paragraph that will be taught in schools in the future.
“Fahrenheit 451”, generated by Leonardo AI
Although Herbert George Wells’ science fiction and dystopian work “The Time Machine” is the most apt example of what I have just mentioned, there are several other books that come to mind when it comes to dystopia. Almost everyone is familiar with “1984”, “Fahrenheit 451”, “Brave New World”, “A Clockwork Orange” and “Crime and Punishment”. But did you know that they were restricted by censorship and bans?
It is not difficult to see another irony here. While these critical fictions, written in a similar genre, talk about the restriction of freedoms in different ways, when they actually encounter it, it is as if they are advertising themselves. This is precisely why I had hoped that dystopian fiction would remain in the realm of imagination and not be reflected in reality. But this, of course, also reflects the reality of the narratives.
In this article, which I have tried to explain chronologically, I would like to talk this time about another work, a series. “Fringe” (2008–2013), which for me is the best science fiction series in the world, also contains elements of drama, mystery and dystopia. The mysterious beings in the last season of the series have taken over the world of our main characters’ future. Although the societies are run by these beings, there is a problem. They are people who have lost their emotions, who act only with logic and superhuman skill, trying to dominate moments in time.
This leads to the formation of the society they want, but the people within the community are not happy about it. Local groups, trying to organise themselves in secret, try to resist these entities that can sense their thoughts, actions and will.
Finally, if we come to the present, a third element (apart from the individual/society and the system) and its extensions enter into this situation. I am talking about technology and its implications. The phrase that I like to remind myself of whenever it is mentioned, “Every technological development brings its own security vulnerabilities”, unfortunately comes in handy here as well.
Today, technological developments are closely linked to the concepts of utopia and dystopia. On the one hand, they can increase people’s desire to create an ideal world; on the other hand, they can increase the dystopian threats and dangers that can result. These consequences do not develop on their own, but through our intervention.
After all, people are at the heart of the matter, aren’t they? The unconscious, irresponsible or reckless behaviour of individuals does not always offer a personal solution, sometimes it has a spill-over effect (directly or indirectly) on others who are innocent.
In our era that “fit into a few paragraphs”, in which we merge with technological developments, our social formations take a similar shape. People with similar aspirations create their own little utopian digital realms. Since they go in with the individual awareness that this will not be the case, there are not many problems. Nevertheless, the shared communities in which they find themselves can be transformed into a dystopian form, if not by themselves, then by others or by technology itself.
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Societies are formed and maintained according to certain rules. These are the rules of formation. The problem lies in being controlled, restricted, censored, targeted and silenced, consciously or unconsciously. This leads to unrest and loss of trust in society. Trust, on the other hand, is a phenomenon that cannot be bought and can only be developed over time.
On the other hand, censored books, suppressed feelings and thoughts, or undermined work do not always end there. Sometimes situations backfire and have unforeseen effects. The frightening effect of individual punishment through pressure on society does not have to remain only with the individual when the time comes and a counter-attack is launched. A more conscious and stronger structure can manifest.
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