Question

Necessity of ideal society

Answer 1

IDEAL Society is a collectivity composed of members of all ages hailing from various nationalities, cultures, religions and backgrounds. Uniting this group is a common ideal of fraternity among people. Since 1993 our shared collective life in the beautiful mountains of southeastern British Columbia forms an experimental framework and environment in which to grow in harmony with nature, while contributing to the well-being of the group and larger community in a spirit of sustainable development.IDEAL's vision inspires us to experiment in the areas of education, wellness, art and agriculture, taking into account the material and spiritual dimensions.

Answer 2

Humanity is struggling now, to deal with this question. Since history began, the “ideal” human structure has been a tribe. And human history has been a story of societies moving from smaller to larger tribes, from tribes numbering just a few members to country-size tribes, but still generally maintaining the advantages and rules by which tribes function.

What are these? They are simple. Tribes are great because they offer members a “place” in the tribe that is theirs. They are welcome and supported. They have membership. They have a home. In return, they agree to support the tribe. It is their primary allegiance, taking precedence over all other allegiances, if and when the chips are down. A tribal member agrees to defend the tribe against all outsiders, up to and including killing renegade insiders or outsiders (the “other”) if required. Tribal boundaries are generally rigid, and there is some kind of procedure or ritual required for entry into a tribe. Usually, the internal structure of a tribe is hierarchical, though not always.

In recent history, however, a new form of organization has been struggling to develop. This is “community”. In community, boundaries are flexible. People can move in and out at will. There are no “others”. People in a community are welcomed and supported, but the degree of their support depends on the degree of their contribution and involvement in the community. Likewise, defense of the community is on a voluntary basis, driven by self-interest. Boundaries are generally flexible, and people can move in and out readily with few or no requirements. The internal structure may or may not be hierarchical.