Environment and Utopia: A Synthesis

284 Pages·1977·6.803 MB·English

by  Rudolf Moos, Robert Brownstein (auth.)

Environment and Utopia
A Synthesis
THE PLENUM SOCIAL ECOLOGY SERIES
Series Editor: Rudolf Moos
Stanford University, Stanford, California and
Veterans Administration Hospital, Palo Alto, California
Environment and Utopia • Rudolf Moos and Robert Brownstein
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Environment and Utopia
A SynthesIs
Rudolf Moos
and
Robert Brownstein
Stanford University
Stanford, California
and
Veterans Administration Hospital
Palo Alto, California
APLENUM/ROSETTA EDITION
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Moos, RudolfH 1934-
Environment and utopia .
.. A Plenum/Rosetta edition."
Includes index.
1. Human ecology. 2. Utopias. I. Brownstein, Robert, joint author. II. Title.
HM206.M65 1977b 301.31 77-23273
ISBN-13: 978-1-4615-8599-2 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4615-8597-8
DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4615-8597-8
A Plenum/Rosetta Edition
Published by Plenum Publishing Corporation
227 West 17th Street, New York, N.Y. 10011
First paperback printing 1977
© 1977 Plenum Press, New York
A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation
227 West 17th Street, New York, N.Y. 10011
All rights reserved
No part of this nook may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher
Contents
PART I: CONCEPTUAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL
BACKGROUND
Chapter 1 Environmental and Ecological Thought ....... 3
Environmental Thought .................................. 7
Determinism ......................................... 7
Possibilism .......................................... 10
Probabilism and Pragmatism ............................ 12
Neodeterminism ...................................... 14
Human Ecology ........................................ 15
Ecosystem Perspectives ................................... 17
References and Notes .................................... 20
Chapter 2 Utopias and Utopian Thought ............... 23
Classical Utopian Models ................................. 26
Postmedieval Utopias .................................... 27
Thomas More's Ut apia ................................. 28
Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Utopias ................. 30
Nineteenth-Century Utopias ............................... 31
Twentieth-Century Utopias ............................... 34
Antiutopian Criticism .................................. 35
Modern Utopias ........................................ 38
A Conceptual Framework for the Analysis of Utopian Models ..... 44
Ecological Dimensions ................................. 44
Architecture and Physical Design ....................... 44
The Human Aggregate ................................. 45
v
vi CONTENTS
Dimensions of Organizational Structure and Functioning ........ 47
Behavior Settings ....................................... 48
Social Climate .......................................... 49
Personal-Growth Dimensions ............................ 50
Relationship Dimensions ............................... 50
System-Maintenance and System-Change Dimensions ......... 50
References and Notes .................................... 5 1
PART II: CASE STUDIES OF OPTIMAL
COMMUNITIES
Chapter 3 The Oneida Community ................... . 57
Introduction .......................................... . 57
Ecological Dimensions: Geographic and Architectural
Features ............................................ . 59
The Human Aggregate .................................. . 62
Organizational Structure and Functioning ................... . 65
Government ........................................ . 65
Economy ........................................... . 69
Family ............................................. . 72
Education .......................................... . 76
A Behavior Setting: The Dining Hall ...................... . 77
Social Climate ......................................... . 78
Personal Ideals and Value System ........................ . 78
Personal Relationships ................................ . 80
Cohesion ......................................... . 80
Support .......................................... . 81
Spontaneity ....................................... . 82
System Maintenance and System Change .................. . 83
Clarity ........................................... . 84
Social Control ..................................... . 84
Innovation ......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
References and Notes ................................... . 88
Chapter 4 The Israeli Kibbutzim 93
Ecological Dimensions: Geographical and Architectural
Features .. 94
'0' • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Human Aggregate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Organizational Structure .................................. 99
CONTENTS vii
Goverrunent ......................................... 100
Economy ............................................ 103
Family and Education .................................. 107
Behavior Settings ....................................... 11 0
Communal Meals ..................................... 111
General Meetings ..................................... 111
Social Climate .......................................... 113
Personal Ideals and Value System ......................... 113
Personal Relationships ................................. 114
Cohesion .......................................... 114
Support ........................................... 117
Spontaneity ........................................ 117
System Maintenance and System Change ................... 119
Clarity ............................................ 119
Social Control ...................................... 120
Innovation ......................................... 121
References and Notes .................................... 122
Chapter 5 The New Town of Columbia, Maryland ...... . 127
Introduction 127
Ecological Dimensions ................................... 132
Geographic Features ................................... 132
Architectural Features .................................. 133
The Human Aggregate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 136
Organizational Structure and Functioning .................... 139
Goverrunent .......................................... 139
Economy ............................................ 141
Family ............................................. , 144
Education ........................................... 147
Social Climate .......................................... 149
Personal Ideas and Value System ......................... 149
Personal Relationships ................................. 151
Cohesion .......................................... 15 1
Support ........................................... 152
Spontaneity ........................................ 153
System Maintenance and System Change ................... 154
Clarity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 154
Social Control '. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 155
Innovation ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 157
References and Notes .................................... 159
viii CONTENTS
Chapter 6 B. F. Skinner's Walden II .................. . 163
Introduction 163
Ecological Dimensions: Geographic and Architectural
Features ....................................... : .... . 164
The Human Aggregate .................................. . 166
Organizational Structure and Functioning ................... . 168
Government ........................................ . 168
Economy ........................................... . 172
Family ............................................. . 174
Education .......................................... . 176
A Behavior Setting: The Dining Hall ...................... . 180
Social Climate ......................................... . 181
Personal Ideals and Value System ........................ . 181
Personal Relationships ................................ . 184
Cohesion ......................................... . 184
Support .......................................... . 185
IpSontan·elt y ....................................... . 186
System Maintenance and System Change .................. . 188
Clarity ........................................... . 188
Social Control ..................................... . 189
Innovation ........................................ . 190
Twin Oaks: An Experimental Walden II .................... . 192
References and Notes ................................... . 194
PART III: A SYNTHESIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND
UTOPIAN PERSPECTIVES
Chapter 7 An Environmental Perspective on Utopia ..... 199
Introduction .......................................... . 199
The Theoretical Relationship ............................. . 200
Substantive Issues ...................................... . 202
Selection of Local Environment ......................... . 202
Complexity ......................................... . 206
Innovation and Change ................................ . 210
Planning of the Social Environment ...................... . 217
Architectural Variables: Physical Space and
Building Design ................................... . 217
CONTENTS ix
Organizational Structure and Functioning ................ 220
Social Climate ...................................... 222
Ecological Balance .................................... 224
Population Control .................................. 224
Use of Resources .................................... 226
Control of Industry and Technology ..................... 227
. New Values ....................................... 228
Conclusions ........................................ 230
Scale ............................................... 231
References and Notes .................................... 235
Chapter 8 A Utopian Perspective on the Environment 237
Theoretical Relationship .................................. 237
Substantive Issues ....................................... 242
Ethical Choice ......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 242
Human Motivation .................................... 246
Qualitative Transformation .............................. 249
Holistic Social Planning ................................ 254
Political Impact ...................................... 260
References and Notes .................................... 265
Chapter 9 Toward a Political Ecological Utopia ......... 267
A Political Ecological Utopia .............................. 271
Diversity ............................................ 272
Flexibility ........................................... 27 3
Social and Ecological Coherence .......................... 273
Balance ............................................. 274
World Scale ......................................... 274
References and Notes .................................... 277
Author Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 279
Subject Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 281
PART I: CONCEPTUAL AND
PHILOSOPHICAL
BACKGROUND