Test and prove all things

Plato famously said “only when philosophers become kings can we truly have justice,” and indeed that has become the basis for many Utopias since. Of course, two thousand years later, we are beyond any sort of intellectual elitism. But the idea of holding very high standards of intelligence, and the expectation that all decisions should be made after careful contemplation, is still paramount to a perfect society in my opinion. In other words, society must uphold a contemplative and speculative life as the most admirable quality of humanity. This change is society is best achieved through education.

It is very unfortunate that our society does not hold philosophy to be very important at all, let alone the basis for all society. If a person is lucky, he might be able to squeeze in a philosophy major into some obscure university, but then risk losing all hope for employment. In fact, anyone who spends most of their time in contemplation is usually ridiculed by more popular folks, who tend to think more with their hearts than their heads. Instead, it is these quiet thinkers should be looked up to.

People continue to debate on the importance of topics ranging from the environment to the economy to the social order, but all of that is useless without a basis for reason. Where would climate change be without environmental science? Where would economic policy be without economic science? And where would talk of social justice begin without a basis for ethics or morality? Everything that separates our society from dumb animals is our ability to take the world around us and hold it up to a higher, intellectual standard. We eat to survive, but we just as easily make culinary arts. The noises we make are not just some mating call, but we have the ability to make poetry and literature.

In a similar manner, everything in society can be held up to an ultimate standard of truth and justice, against which absolute right and wrong, truth and false can be discerned. Some call it science, while others call it philosophy. Ultimately, all other laws hang on this. When society recognizes this, and protects that standard for rationality above all else, then Utopia can be achieved. 

The seven liberal arts, with philosophy at the center, from a medieval manuscript

And here is how that can be implemented: first, the scientific community (with other academia) should take certain reforms, spelling out a general standard for scientific thought, and placing philosophy as the most fundamental science. Then there should be a reform of education. Rather than being taught raw information, students should first be taught how to interpret information. Facts taken straight from the internet or television, without first critically analyzed, should be frowned upon. Children need to be taught from a young age that wealth and fame will never make them happy, but truth and justice will.

The renowned author Dr. Seuss once wrote about a fanciful school in Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!. One of the most memorable lines from that comes from one of the teachers: “and most importantly, we taught you how to think”. Perhaps that should be the models for all schools.