A conceptual and phenomenological diagnosis of the utopian mentality as a human but fallacious tendency. An investigation of the excesses and the subtle manifestations of the utopian mentality.

As utopian ideals are unattainable, they are thought to be without real consequences. I aim to show that this picture is mistaken and to expose the true nature and consequences of the utopian mentality. When we rely on relevant descriptions of the ethical phenomena we try to understand, it is revealed that ordinary morality seems to be grafted on our ordinary concern with value. Morality primarily protects the valuable and is primarily emphatic when it is threatened. Because our lives entail conflicts and drawbacks as well, we try to improve things. A certain perfectionist attitude is normal. The latter can, however, become easily distorted utopianism is born when there is a belief in overall perfection. This, however, is a delusion. The eradication of all our imperfections is the only way to attain this ideal but this implies that we would undertake things which would normally be considered as evil. It means that in the attempt to overcome our human condition, we lose what is most valuable to us: our value and moral awareness and the acknowledgement of our human condition.

Keywords:Anti-utopianism, Ordinary morality, Value-ethics, Phenomenology, Aurel Kolnai

Disciplines:Law, Metalaw