In his assessment of the utopian movements, the sociologist, Thomas Caplow, says that it is obvious that ordinary groups of people can take up the challenge of becoming human beings “at their best”, human beings who not only “love one another” but also “lay down their lives for one another” in order to make their dreams of building a better world come true.

But, Caplow says, it is equally obvious, that, while many can do so, very few do.

Caplow asks himself tbe question, that many of us ask, when he enquires “Why, in tbe face of repeated demonstrations that segments of society are perfectible, is there so little interest in perfectionism?”

One answer to the question, Caplow says, might be the matter of scale. “A utopia cannot be very large if its members are not to have competing affiliations. The utopian formula is applicable only to small settlements, although these may combine into larger federations .”

Another answer to the question, Caplow says, might be the matter of cost. “The time and energy spent by the utopian organisation on its own maintenance is disproportionate to its resources. The rituals, the convocations, the ceremonies … are all very costly.”

Still another answer to the question, Caplow says, might be the matter of efficiency . “Aside from the direct costs of internal maintenance, utopian organisations tend to be inefficient because achievement is not stressed. The problem of maintaining voluntarism at very high levels takes precedence over problems related to achievement.”

But, the answer to the question, underlying all the rest, Caplow suggests, is a matter of faith. “A utopian organisation needs an overwhelming incentive. It is misleading to discuss utopia in terms of structure alone. Their members are animated by a powerful faith…”

From Dave Andrews Building A Better World p336-7