Who Should Work for Utopia?
If you have any two real entities, then at a certain point you can imagine the unity, or centering, or even ‘non-duality’ between them. This is often done in the unity of Soul and World scenarios in philosophy. When we do this with the two economic classes posited by Marxism, ie Proletariat and Bourgeoisie, we come to the unity or centering signified by the concept Utopia.
Utopia (Sign)
Proletariat(thing)———————————Bourgeoisie (thing)
Now let us suppose that, with real political progress, this unity is ‘realized.’ That is, we come to make it a reality the unity or non-duality between the two aforementioned economic classes—the two classes ‘intermingle’ in reality, let's suppose. This unity is not an absolute unity however, for the very sign we first posited, namely “Utopia,” remains in the schema. Of course, we cannot even imagine the unity between that sign Utopia and an actually existing thing in reality called Utopia. The difference between them—as the difference between any sign and any thing—is absolute and unbridgeable.
Y (sign)
Utopia (thing)——————————————Utopia (sign)
Now, we have two irreconcilable terms: the sign Utopia and the thing Utopia. Granted, we can at least imagine a sign that represents that difference, if not their unity. Call this sign Y. Now, since the sign Utopia is by definition a sign, and Y is by definition a sign, we can realize [or at least imagine/conceive] the unity or centering between the two signs, while all the while the actually existing Utopia remains always untouched.
Z (sign)
Utopia (sign)———————————————Y (Sign)
We can represent the difference between that sign and utopia the thing with a new sign, as seen below. Again, the sign Z and the sign A can be combined in a new sign, B. And so on ad infinitum.
A (Sign)
Z (sign)—————————————————-Utopia (thing)
This leaves the following problem: the thing Utopia, it seems, is not a vital term in this schema by any means, whereas the realm of signs is endlessly proliferating. The sign Utopia is also quickly rendered not important. What this means is that a transcendental reality, where Utopia the thing combines with Utopia the sign, is not logically possible. All this is to say that to posit a sign like Utopia to facilitate the combination of two economic classes seems to be quite problematic. Actually existing economic classes only cause an endless proliferation of signs as an origin, that is, as something that does not recur or repeat again and again in newer forms. Will this mean that real Utopia will be historical and thus fleeting, even as it is 'always there'?
Moreover, since the signs that are obtained subsequently upon the combination of the two economic classes are endless, they are absolutely arbitrary. This means any arbitrary pair of things in reality can facilitate this process where we realize their centering. But after that, things-based reality itself drops away as a concern. From this point of view, at least, there is no reason to take two economic classes as the point of departure at all.
So, is it a meaningful enough venture to strive for Utopia? What makes Utopia distinct such that we can be satisfied ending at it and not be disappointed at the impossibility of realizing the transcendental non-duality between thing and sign? Is this disappointment what comes the moments after we are able to realize Utopia? And what if this disappointment is so great that we regret the realization of Utopia in the first place? Only for those who have faith and resolution that actual Utopia's significance transcends the disappointment of the non-unity of thing and sign is it ever a worthwhile project.
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