This article is about the philosophical concept. For the Half-Life 2 mod, see Dystopia (computer game) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A dystopia (alternatively, cacotopia, kakotopia or anti-utopia) is the antithesis of a utopian society. A dystopian society is usually characterized by an authoritarian or totalitarian form of government, or some other kind of oppressive social control. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A dystopian society usually exhibits at least one of the following traits from the following non-exhaustive list: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - social stratification, where social class is strictly defined and enforced, and social mobility is non-existent (see caste system).
- a nation-state ruled by an upper class with few democratic ideals
- state propaganda programs and educational systems that coerce most citizens into worshipping the state and its government, in an attempt to convince them into thinking that life under the regime is good and just
- strict conformity among citizens and the general assumption that dissent and individuality are bad
- a state figurehead that people worship fanatically through a vast personality cult, such as 1984's Big Brother, We's The Benefactor, or Equilibrium's Father
- a fear or disgust of the world outside the state
- a common view of traditional life, particularly organized religion, as primitive and nonsensical
- complete domination by a state religion, e.g Death-Worship in the Eastasia of 1984, the Sisterhood of Metacontrol in or the Technopriests in The Incal
- the "memory" of institutions overriding or taking precedence over human memory
- a penal system that lacks due process laws and often employs psychological or physical torture
- a lack of the key essentials of life for many citizens, like food shortages
- constant surveillance by government or other agencies
- militarized police forces and private security forces
- the banishment of the natural world from daily life
- construction of fictional views of reality that the populace are coerced into believing
- corruption, impotence or other usurpation of democratic institutions
- fictional rivalries between groups that actually operate as a cartel
- insistence by the forces of the establishment that
- it provides the best of all possible worlds
- that all problems are due to the action of its enemies and their dupes
- An overall slow decay of all systems (polical, economic, religion, infrastructure. . .) resulting from people being alienated from nature, the State, society, family, and themselves. Yesterday was better, tomorrow will be worse.
- Everything trends towards zero sum gain relationships rather than non-zero-sum relationships in a slowly decreasing system.
Antithesis: Antithesis (Greek for "setting opposite", from anti = against and thesis = position) means a direct contrast or exact opposition to something. Hell is the antithesis of Heaven, chaos the antithesis of order.... Utopia: Utopia, in its most common and general positive meaning, refers to the human efforts to create a better society, a perfect society that does not exist (yet).... Society: :For the song by the California punk band Pennywise, see Society (song).... |