Quote:Why is it that we an only achieve Utopia in small groups? Any thoughts?
One could argue that it is ever achieved, but I'll not take up that banner at the moment.
It seems to me that Utopia requires perfect execution and application of the rules (be they law or morals).
There are not an unlimitied number of individuals who could mete out justice in this way without corruption. So, as the size of the group increases, we have to settle for lesser examples of King Solomon to rule on cases of justice/morality.
In other words, it works when one, truly benevolent and wise person is exercising some control. When we get mob rule or corrupt executors, the practice degenerates into something less than Utopia.
One important aspect is that of specificity vs. generalization. In a Utopia, each case would be judged solely on its own merits. On the other hand, laws are made to help generalize, grouping infractions together and categorizing them. This is because we don't trust each judge or jury to mete out justice fairly without the benefit of some guidelines.
However, in a very small group, we don't have to generalize as much. More attention is paid to the specifics of each situation and moral judgement is applied to each action a priori.
Maybe that's part of the answer to the question.