Five centuries after the first
publication of The Utopia of Thomas More, the Australian author Samuel
Alexander has created a new utopia, he called Entropia.
This utopia is organized on an island, isolated from the rest of the world.
Living himself in an island, the author reminds us that this is the ideal framework
to design a utopia. A island allows the endemism to thrive, allowing some species
to develop away from the rest of the world. Thus, Australia has been able to to keep
marsupials which have disappeared from the rest of the world. The community of Entropia is
supposed to have been created by 2030, in the wake of the collapse of the
industrial civilization. The story begins in the 20th century with the purchase
of an island in the South Pacific by an oil Tycoon, who is unhappy with his past life and wants to organize an ideal Community, which might become happy and autonomous. The global collapse happens 70 years later. The island is isolated and becomes a real utopia, working
with its own rules. The way it is organized is obviously at the heart of the
book. It has adopted a
"stationary economy", making a strict balance between resource
consumption and renewable natural contributions. To get there, Entropia
practice the principles of voluntary simplicity and frugal abundance.
These principles are lived as an asset, rather than as a constraint, as they have beneficial effects on health and help to get an easier access to cultural activities. Political organizations are based on a system of
"direct" and "participatory" democracy. A minimum income is
guaranteed to all inhabitants. Entropia provides a current summary of
the ideas that focus on ecology, degrowth, sobriety and sustainable
consumption. The merit of the book is to present them as part of a narrative
that is attractive and easy to read. As with all utopias, one of the question which the book raises is
to know whether such a model is achievable, at least partly. Can everybody accept the principles of voluntary simplicity?
One of the interesting answers of the book is to connect the ethics of
simplicity to a spiritual quest for the meaning of life. Such a motivation is not
easily transferable to the entire population. The author is probably not
certain himself that it is feasible, as it is shown by the unexpected conclusion that it will be possible to
discover by reading this endearing book.
Cinq siècles après la première publication de
L'Utopie de Thomas More, l'auteur australien Samuel Alexander a imaginé une nouvelle utopie, qu'il a appelée
Entropia. Cette utopie s'organise sur une île, isolée du reste du monde. Habitant lui-même une île, l'auteur nous rappelle que c'est là le cadre idéal pour concevoir une utopie. L'île permet à l'endémisme de s'épanouir, comme l'avait rappelé Gilles Clément dans "
Le Jardin planétaire", en donnant à certaines espèces la possibilité de se développer à l'abri du reste du monde. C'est l'endémisme qui a permis notamment à l'Australie de conserver des marsupiaux qui ont disparu du reste du monde. La communauté d'Entropia est censée avoir été créée vers 2030, dans le sillage de l'effondrement de la civilisation industrielle. L'histoire commence au XXe siècle avec l'achat d'une île dans le Pacifique Sud par un magnat du pétrole, qui, pris de regrets à l'égard de sa vie passée, souhaite organiser une communauté idéale, heureuse et autonome. Mais ce n'est que 70 ans plus tard qu'intervient la "Grande Rupture", c'est à dire l'effondrement planétaire. L'île se retrouve isolée et se transforme ainsi en une véritable utopie, fonctionnant avec ses propres règles. La description de l'utopie est évidemment au cœur de l'ouvrage. L'idée principale autour de laquelle elle s'organise est celle d'une "économie stationnaire", réalisant un strict équilibre entre la consommation de ressources et les apports naturels renouvelables. Pour y parvenir, Entropia pratique les principes de la
simplicité volontaire et de l'
abondance frugale. Ces principes sont vécus comme un bien, plutôt que comme une contrainte, car ils ont des effets bénéfiques sur la santé et permettent de se consacrer plus librement à des activités culturelles. Les organisations politiques sont fondées sur un système de démocratie "directe" et "participative". Un revenu minimal est garanti à tous les habitants. Entropia se présente donc un condensé des idées actuelles sur l'écologie, la décroissance, la sobriété et la consommation durable. Le mérite de l'ouvrage est de les présenter dans le cadre d'un récit attrayant et facile à lire. Comme pour toutes les utopies, une des questions qui restent ouvertes est de savoir si elle est effectivement réalisable, ne serait-ce qu'en partie. Est-il possible de faire accepter par l'ensemble de la population les principes de la simplicité volontaire? L'une des réponses intéressantes de l'ouvrage. est de relier l'éthique de la simplicité à la quête spirituelle du sens de la vie. Une telle motivation n'en reste pas moins difficile à étendre à tous. L'auteur en est conscient lui-même. Il livre un dénouement inattendu qu'il sera possible de découvrir en lisant cet ouvrage attachant.
Five centuries after the first
publication of The Utopia of Thomas More, the Australian author Samuel
Alexander has created a new utopia, he called Entropia.
This utopia is organized on an island, isolated from the rest of the world.
Living himself in an island, the author reminds us that this is the ideal framework
to design a utopia. A island allows the endemism to thrive, allowing some species
to develop away from the rest of the world. Thus, Australia has been able to to keep
marsupials which have disappeared from the rest of the world. The community of Entropia is
supposed to have been created by 2030, in the wake of the collapse of the
industrial civilization. The story begins in the 20th century with the purchase
of an island in the South Pacific by an oil Tycoon, who is unhappy with his past life and wants to organize an ideal Community, which might become happy and autonomous. The global collapse happens 70 years later. The island is isolated and becomes a real utopia, working
with its own rules. The way it is organized is obviously at the heart of the
book. It has adopted a
"stationary economy", making a strict balance between resource
consumption and renewable natural contributions. To get there, Entropia
practice the principles of voluntary simplicity and frugal abundance.
These principles are lived as an asset, rather than as a constraint, as they have beneficial effects on health and help to get an easier access to cultural activities. Political organizations are based on a system of
"direct" and "participatory" democracy. A minimum income is
guaranteed to all inhabitants. Entropia provides a current summary of
the ideas that focus on ecology, degrowth, sobriety and sustainable
consumption. The merit of the book is to present them as part of a narrative
that is attractive and easy to read. As with all utopias, one of the question which the book raises is
to know whether such a model is achievable, at least partly. Can everybody accept the principles of voluntary simplicity?
One of the interesting answers of the book is to connect the ethics of
simplicity to a spiritual quest for the meaning of life. Such a motivation is not
easily transferable to the entire population. The author is probably not
certain himself that it is feasible, as it is shown by the unexpected conclusion that it will be possible to
discover by reading this endearing book.
