The neoliberal globalization, which confers to the Market all the powers of decision proposes no vision for the future nor project of transformation of the world. The primacy of the economy and finance seems incompatible with any project of social renewal. The result is a feeling of frustration and pessimism, leading to a fear of a future in which it will be harder to live than before. More than ever, new forms of Utopia and new visions for the future become necessary, to overcome such a feeling and to be able to engage in the construction of a better future. Three types of utopias can be considered:
- Technological utopias are the most common at present. Transhumanism promises to overcome all diseases, to leverage human abilities, ultimately to achieve immortality. Human beings will be able to cross the physical limits of their existence on Earth and to disseminate colonies within the whole Universe on the exo-planets with can sustain life. New technologies of information and communication (NTIC) have made possible instant exchanges between all the inhabitants of the planet. Now, after having freed the human being of the physical work, technology seems ready to perform also the intellectual work, which until now remained within the realm only of human beings. One of the most fascinating technological utopias, deals with the deployment of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) far exceeding human capacities. This would lead to a still accelerated progress, a kind of Singularity, with consequences which seem impossible to imagine right now. It might result also in the replacement of human beings by machines for most important decisions.
- Social and political utopias are essentially driven by protest movements, such as those of the Indignados in Spain or Occupy Wall Street in the United States. These movements would like to build new forms of democracy, such as direct democracy or participatory democracy. Other forms of Utopia involve the transformation of the economy, to move towards new forms of a solidarity economy or to build a fair organization of the North-South trade. Globalization is the object of various utopias. Some advocate the establishment of a world government. Others, on the contrary are considering a relocation of the activities within areas that would find a broad autonomy. Digital technologies allow to consider again the old anarchist utopia of local self-government municipalities, linked together by a loose form of coordination, for all the decisions affecting the whole community These utopias contradict the logic of neo-liberal globalization. Therefore, without a deep transformation of the current neo-liberal system, they remain difficult inapplicable for the moment.
- Cultural utopias which are particularly important in the current context, are presently most lacking. Society needs to develop a new world of imagination and new forms of spirituality, in order to escape from the dehumanized world to which may lead technology. New aspirations are emerging. Ecology. represents one of the major areas of transformation. Beyond a simple desire to protect the environment, emerges a new form of relationship with nature. Nature holds a spiritual and sacred significance, which is recognized by the deep ecology movement and the introduction of the concept of Gaia. Ecology is frequently associated with spirituality, to form an ecospirituality. This sacredness of nature is one of the most characteristic cultural trends of contemporary society. Other forms of spirituality are developing in response to the need for personal development and inner harmony. Religions, far from disappearing, occupy a central place in today's world. The violence generated by fundamentalism is favored by military conflicts, which exacerbate hostile reactions. It can be prevented by working on the restoration of peace. A spiritual renewal and a rise in the level of consciousness, might help to prevent hatred and violence. The construction of a culture rooted in the interiority of the person becomes an imperative to escape the enslavement of human beings by machines. Intangible assets of cultural interest can also limit the compulsive need to consume still more. Two factors may contribute to achieve the profound cultural transformation which is required . The need for each to achieve inner harmony is the first of them. To achieve a deeper level of consciousness is a prerequisite for escaping to the condition of a machine, only subjected to physicochemical forces. A second factor is the will to renew the social link, to build a society of co-operation and sharing, open to empathy and altruism.
Le monde globalisé actuel semble dépourvu de vision d'avenir ou de projet de transformation du monde. Le primat de l'économie et de la finance est incompatible avec tout projet de renouveau social. Il en résulte un sentiment de frustration et de pessimisme, conduisant à craindre un avenir dans lequel il serait plus difficile de vivre qu'auparavant. Plus que jamais, de nouvelles formes d'utopie et de nouvelles visions d'avenir deviennent nécessaires, pour surmonter un tel sentiment et pouvoir s'engager dans la construction d'un avenir meilleur. Trois types d'utopies peuvent être envisagées:
- Les utopies technologiques: ces utopies sont les plus courantes à l'heure actuelle. Le transhumanisme promet de vaincre toutes les maladies, de démultiplier les capacités humaines et, à terme, d’atteindre l’immortalité. L’homme va être capable de franchir les limites physiques de son existence sur Terre, pour partir à la conquête de tout l’Univers, afin de disséminer des colonies sur les exo-planètes offrant une telle opportunité. Les nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication (NTIC) ont rendu instantanés les échanges sur la planète. Après avoir libéré l’être humain du travail physique, elles semblent à présent prêtes à effectuer à sa place le travail intellectuel. L’une des utopies technologiques les plus fascinantes, qui en résulte concerne le développement d’une Intelligence Artificielle (IA) de plus en plus performante, dont les progrès rapides devraient la conduire dans l’avenir à dépasser largement les capacités humaines. Si une telle promesse est vraie, les conséquences sont évidemment fabuleuses. Elle conduirait à une forme de Singularité, dont les conséquences sont encore imprévisibles.
- Les utopies sociales et politiques sont essentiellement portées par les mouvements de contestation, tels que ceux des Indignés ou Occupy Wall Street. Ces mouvements voudraient construire de nouvelles formes de démocratie, telles que la démocratie directe ou la démocratie participative. D'autres formes d'utopie concernent la transformation de l'économie, pour aller vers des formes d'économie solidaire ou pour rendre les échanges Nord-Sud plus équitables. La mondialisation fait l'objet d'utopies diverses. Certaines prônent l'établissement d'un gouvernement mondial. D'autres, au contraire, envisagent une relocalisation des activités dans des régions qui retrouveraient une large autonomie. Les technologies numériques permettent d'envisager à nouveau la vieille utopie anarchiste de communes autogérées, mais se coordonnant entre elles pour toutes les décisions qui engagent l'ensemble de la communauté. Ces utopies se heurtent toutefois directement à la logique de la globalisation néolibérale. De ce fait, sans transformation profonde du système néolibéral actuel, elles demeurent difficilement inapplicables pour le moment.
