Society from Scratch...

[Karli]

I'm actually thinking about this for a peice I'm writing. I'm happy to credit anyone who responds.

Okay, so: I'm locking you and a few other people in a bubble. There is no life in this bubble. There is air, though, and a way to circulate the air and there is you and a small collection of other people.

Now: I need you to create a sustainable society inside this bubble. You can bring in anything you want. Plants, animals, dirt, computers, science-y things I don't know the name of, the neat little gadget that turns pee into water, etc.  

So, what would you take and why? And do you think you could create a sustainable society and for how long?

[M]

I'd bring the internet.

[Astroskylark]

I generally despise anthropology questions, but here's my opinion:

Providing that there is gravity in this bubble, I would first take several tons of dirt to make a landmass, in addition to enough seeds of several edible species of plants to create a sizable crop, and would of course, ensure that the seeds were capable of being self- and cross- pollinated. I would take animals of several edible species, which would be carefully picked based upon genetic compatibility, and beneficial and desirable traits. People would be picked based upon stricter but similar categories. The issue of gender is debatable; it is the logical assumption to take a much higher percentage of women then men, as one man can impregnate a large number of women (23 men can, if carefully chosen based on genetic traits and compatibility, produce enough gametes to impregnate enough women to recreate the entire human population in a matter of years), but that large gender gap introduces several problems. Fights over women would undoubtedly be prevalent, especially considering that monogamy is a societal norm these days. And, if something rendered most of these men infertile, the new society would be faced with a serious decline.

I would take computers, providing internet service were available, as the internet contains the majority of the collective human intelligence. Computers would provide a sort of rudimentary education for future generations and may delay the inevitable decline in intelligence of generations born and raised in the new society. Scientific discovery would grind to an abrupt halt, as the people in the bubble would be more concerned with perpetuation of the species. So-called 'experts' are no longer around, and textbooks would not be taken into the bubble, as they are an unessacry excessory in such a society, in which space is at a premium. Children would not be properly educated, and would most likely be drafted into the task of producing the next generation shortly after they come of age.

If and when this society reaches a sustainable population that will ensure the continuity of the human species (which may take a long time), humanity as a whole will have lost much knowledge, and their level of innovation (capability to produce technology and make scientific discoveries) will have most likely declined to a level not seen since before the Dark Ages. So, we're looking at a society that knows how to use the computers and generators that their ancestors brought up generations ago, but have no clue how they work, and would recognize about 5% of the technology that the said ancestors would.

Of course, social outcasts would exist in this society, as well as social biases. Even if the people in the society managed to create a working biosphere ( a necessity! They need water), the society would, in all likelihood, not be able to exist for more then a few generations. Society itself would last until one of the last three humans perished, but humanity would be a different story.

[Astroskylark]

If I had more details, I may be able to provide a more detailed and helpful answer.

[Karli]

Actually, this is a highly impressive and well thought-out answer. And since this is mostly stemming from my own curiousity than anything else, and lacked details, I think you did quite well.

[HappyPenguin27]

One question Karli:

What would you consider a small collection of people?

I only ask because Im working on the queston on hand with a dozen people in mind.

Also it woll take me awhile to think it out.

[Karli]

Yes, I would consider a handful of people. Really, the question is about what YOU would bring and why.

[HappyPenguin27]

Starting from bottom to top:

Dirt for landmass to put stuff on.
Rocks to break in smaller rocks and more dirt
Sand for a small coast line/ beach for fun
A river that has edible fish in it and a dam somewhere it to have electricity made.The river goes out to the coast line to make a small ocean
Im hope a few of the other people with me a farmers so that we could have chickens(for eggs) and cows(for milk) four cows and four chickens. Two of the cows and chicken would be for making more cows and chickens, the other two cows and chickens would be for making eggs and milk. some of the cows and chicken would be eaten by the people too.
Wheat and veggies seeds to grow. Fruit trees as well.<----to eat.
Bees to pollenate the trees and flowers
Flowers and Pine trees...something pretty to look at
A water mill to grind the wheat into flour.
1 laptop per person in the bubble so we can make contact with other bubbles or the outside world
Enough lumber and other building materials to build house for everyone in the bubble and other buildings

[Ian Tan]

I don't think very much of what we have in society and the world as of right now is necessarily definitive. It is however, in some sense, circumstantial. Why things are the things they are now, are because of a chain of events that occurred simultaneously. Like serendipities, accidental findings that happen at a very low rate, but then causing a large shift in culture and beliefs. Like pavlov's serendipity on classical conditioning. He stumbled upon it, and because he did, it became the base for what we call "Psychology" today.

It's in this way, that much of our culture is built. Internet, gadgets, forms of transportation - almost any typical thing you can think of really. The only thing that remains truly essential is mother nature, for in the absence of thought-capability, Mother Nature, and the environment around us has found little to no reason to drastically change. The same cannot be said about human society. Though, this isn't saying there haven't been one or two nuts that have fell into streams, that led to the growth of forests, that otherwise wouldn't be there.

Assuming that I am god, amongst other things, and this bubble contained people that are clueless and information-less as Adam and Even had once been. People that lacked the knowledge collected and formed by history; Assuming that these people, and I myself, would will them to perserve-life; Assuming that I already knew the turnout of society as we see it today. I would attempt to throw away and filter out the flaws that humans have been taught to have since birth, and form a much more intelligible and corporative society.

Forget about the internet, equipment, electric. Things like those would come in due time. What is more important however, is in the micro-management of the psychologies and ideals of the humans that reside in the bubble. Much of the grief that has been put onto humanity today stems from ill-grown ideals. I believe that prejudice, discrimination, pride and etc have been nothing more than a creation of primal instincts and, as I've mentioned above, different sorts of serendipities.

I would hand the humans in this bubble concepts and values that would overwrite said "ill-grown" ideals. In hopes that in the future they would not turn out as our community is now. Selfish, hungry, dying. Though, I cannot say that what I hand them would definitely change the outcome of their evolution and advancement.

Human beings as today are simply too ignorant of what is important and what is not. Though, one may argue that what is important to any individual differs immensely. I feel that, as to our natural instincts and tendency to co-inahbit this earth, the ideals that I hold dear to me now, are the ones that matter the most in the best interest for humanity as a whole. True, a world cannot be all loving and fair. But I would argue a world could be much more transparent and realistic.

However, this argument, is completely based on my digressions. I'm sure, there are many that may argue what I have said above to be false, and the betterment of society would rely much on the animosity-driven constructs we have already created. If there is no strive for power, and no strive for competition how can we survive? Advancement is brought upon by competition and a desire to be better than the rest. But then again, is is truly imperative that we have competition? Or have we just been disillusioned by the stereotypes we've been forced upon by community.


That's just my 2 cents.

[Terry]

I would take everything awesome and leave all of the suck behind. I'd teach everyone there to be a group of peaceful people. So I'd only have Linux computers with the awesomest open source programs. I'd have plenty of plants and animals and dirt and water and we'd all respect nature.

[Sam Ruff]

lol perfect

[Mr. E]

If they don't have to be real things, why not bring one of those portal guns so you can keep transporting stuff from outside into the bouble?

[Gerli V]

I'm feeling ambitious. Why create simply a sustainable society? Shouldn't it be g o o d ?

It seems kind of weird to wish to build up a more or less utopian society while being so close to the truth. Why not think outside the box? It seems that society as it is today is lacking in some aspects. You could always retrace your steps... or you could do something else. This else is kind of difficult, though. What I'm thinking is that you don't really need the physical aspects of the world for a society - why not create one that's based more or less entirely on ideas? Everything else is secondary.

So I'm going to try to think of not the things we need but the people themselves. Or, I could say I'd bring a Personality Enhancer.

In my opinion, the biggest fault (and at the same time their greatest asset) of humans is the fact that they wish to live. And not just live but live well. This, in turn, leads to several things: desiring power over others, misusing said power, corruption. So on some degree, we do not have absolute justice, even though it is an almighty liberal ideal.

So in order for a society to function in a way that it's satisfactory to everybody (equality!), nobody in the society should have any personal interests. Everyone should work for a common goal. That's kind of the socialist main idea, isn't it? Everybody working together, living in peace and equality, etc. There's this book I read which had a lovely quote, "You can either have equality or liberties." which is to say that for everyone to be on the same footing, the people have to be ruled by someone and/or something and there have to be boundaries.

So there would be the common people and the One: a Noble Monarch who'd act as Sacrifice to the society I'm creating. They should be enlightened. They should be considerate. And the people should understand the need for rules (the PE comes in handy again)...

I'm starting to think I'm creating a society of sheep, not people. But then again - shouldn't we be able to convey our thoughts and ideas in a peaceful manner? Shouldn't we be able to discuss everything? This leads us to our third necessity: a Shrine for Wisdom that would serve as a meeting-place for debates. There would be no fighting there. Everyone would be able to explain their ideas, discuss its faults and its positive sides. (My PE would give everyone the ability to express themselves) They would reach a consensus. They would find ways to create a better world.

So in my society we are actually creating the ultimate society. Everyone (also known as the Handful of People) would be working towards a greater goal. At the same time they could be crowing corn or mowing the lawn, whatever is deemed as the proper pastime for the Programmers of the World, the Thinkers Outside the Box.

They would find the way to end the cycle of time and the suffering of life. They would find a Paradise and it would last forever.

Yay!