Ideal Society Research Articles

Between State Media Use and Democracy: An Investigation into the Role of Botswana Television for Democracy

Although Botswana is commonly heralded as a democratic country, its national television service—Botswana Television (BTV)—has for close to two decades grappled with trying to perform the roles of nurturing democracy and gratifying the despotic instructions of the government. With the limited privately owned media in Botswana, expectations are that BTV offers itself as a platform for civic participation, serves as a conduit between the state and the public, broadcasts content that informs and educates society, and reports impartially on issues that concern members of the public such as politics, questionable government activities, unemployment, and socio-economic inequalities. Instead, BTV has its programming skewed towards the ruling elites. BTV's performance in this regard results from its funding and control by the government. This article argues that for a national media service to nurture democratic ideals in society, the state should introduce policy reforms that serve the interests of all stakeholders and allow media practitioners to exercise professionalism without any unnecessary pressures from the government.

Intersectionality of Queer Female Characters in Alice Oseman’s Young Adult Series of Graphic Novels Heartstopper

The global success of Alice Oseman’s series of young adult graphic novels, Heartstopper, may come as a surprise. Initially published as a webcomic on Tumblr and Tapas, it attracted an online audience of over 50 million views. The project’s publishing fundraising goal was met in just two hours, and Hachette Children’s Group published Heartstopper: Volume One as a graphic novel in 2019, followed by four other volumes and extras, all released by 2023. While most readers and critics have focused on the issues of male homo- and bisexuality in Heartstopper, this article seeks to analyse the multifaceted identities of trans and cisgender female characters in Oseman’s graphic novel series through the lens of intersectionality, focusing on gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity, while addressing the call for diversity in YA literature. Remembering that young adult literature often aims to raise questions about political organisation, ideal society, and the need for social change, the reading of Oseman’s Heartstopper presented in this paper argues that it is a part of utopian young adult literature due to disregarding many issues connected to the characters’ intersections, especially the experiences of women of colour.

Theocratically bounded communal self-governance: a pre-modern solution for the modern world?

Shadi Hamid proposes “democratic minimalism” as a system and means of governing and rotating power with no prejudice to substantive ideological outcomes. Democratic minimalism is meant to decouple the question of actualizing an ideal society, even a liberal one that provides maximum freedom for the maximum groups of people, from the mechanism of transferring power between groups with opposing beliefs. I sympathize with Hamid’s arguments. Hamid, I believe, correctly identifies the tension between liberal democracy and Islam in the Muslim world in that Muslims if given the choice may not support liberal policies. He also, I think, rightly concludes that the way to live with this dilemma consists of preserving plurality and the possibility of change through persuasion and thoughtful contestation, and not autocratic leadership. However, I argue, he does not sufficiently problematize the nation-state in his analysis. Drawing on the Islamic tradition, I argue we can make progress in this regard by deconstructing the nation-state to make room for communal self-governance and moral heterodoxies.

Images of the Present and Possible: Analyzing the Climate Movement Through Its Utopias

The article analyzes utopian thinking within the current climate movement, with a particular focus on the Finnish movement, and develops analysis of contemporary society through utopias. Empirically, it is based on material collected in the context of a protest week called ‘Utopia rebellion’, in Helsinki in 2022. We use material such as statements, blog posts, and social media content produced by climate activists, as they aimed to form an idea of utopian society beyond their demands on climate policy. We argue that in order to understand any utopian vision properly, one needs to understand not only how it conceptualizes the ideal society, but also how it (implicitly) interprets the nature and problems of the existing one, and the function of utopias. From this starting point, we develop an analysis of the movement by looking at its utopias, conceptions of the present, and uses of utopias. In the image of the movement formed this way, the key components emerging from the analyses are related to redefinitions of work, reconnecting with one’s community, and the possibilities of identities to flourish.

THE СONCEPT OF THE FUTURE IN THE ARTISTIC SYSTEM OF V. MAYAKOVSKY AND ITS CONSTANTS

The article is devoted to the concept of the Future as one of the key and comprehensive categories that characterize the work of V. V. Mayakovsky. The importance of this concept was already realized by the poet’s contemporaries M. Gorky, K. Chukovsky, M. Tsvetaeva. However, in the Soviet years, the topic was narrowed down to an ideologically motivated “communist future.” A significant methodological update that took place at the turn of the century allowed to expand the context of research, to compare Mayakovsky’s works about the future with the philosophical views of Russian cosmism, N. F. Fedorov’s ideas of the resurrection, the scientific theories of Lobachevsky, Tsiolkovsky, and Einstein. These achievements of Russian science were successfully integrated into the global cultural space, where the phenomenon of Mayakovsky was actively received. Against the background of various theoretical and methodological approaches to the study and interpretation of the Future, Mayakovsky’s worldview examines the poet’s characteristic desire to create an image of the life of a person and society dynamically, from the present time to several centuries ahead. To systematize the concepts associated with the concept of the Future, we propose a kind of a metaphorical time scale, on which four constants are designated on a vertical axis: today, tomorrow, future, and eternity. Each of the ascending levels is associated with the reflection of ideas about the Future, with its active development, inherent in Mayakovsky throughout his life. The desire to anticipate and bring the Future closer through creativity and the construction of utopian models of life, love, art, and an ideal society is clearly reflected at all the levels under consideration.

A Multidimensional Interpretation of A New Story of the Stone Based on Corpus Analysis

As a traditional science fiction novel, A New Story of the Stone blends old and new elements. This study employs quantitative descriptions to reveal that the novel's language is rich, vivid, and concise. In terms of narrative features, the novel inherits the traditional Chinese chapter-novel structure and maintains a strong focus on scene descriptions. However, it also reflects Western influences by paying attention to the portrayal of characters' psychological activities. The novel's social utility is pronounced, as it celebrates the dissemination of advanced technology, pursues the ideal society, reflects on societal improvements, and critiques the current society and backward traditional culture.

Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali's Perspective on Authority and Religion

This article explores the concept of authority and its relationship with religion, addressing various aspects and theories related to both. This concept is significant as it touches on essential elements of society. In faciliting the research process, the researcher employs a descriptive and analytical method with a philosophical basis. As a result, the study finds a connection between authority in al-Ghazali's view and other concepts, such as justice, which ultimately leads to happiness. Authority is necessary in social life as a means to achieve happiness for both individuals and society. This reflects what can be described as the ideal society concept in al-Ghazali's perspective. Al-Ghazālī proposes that an ideal society is a blend of worldly reality and spirituality, where power must be exercised according to religious teachings by leaders who embody magnanimity, in order to achieve happiness and justice within the community.

An Equilibrium of Education Policy by Dr. Ambedkar - A Visionary Aim with Landmark Change Over in India

His words become true, as proved by Dr. Ambedkar with his unstoppable efforts to eradicate the weeds in our country by drafting the Constitution of India and subsidizing various policies and measures. He was the one who paved the way for revolutionary moments on education in India and also believed that “Education is a key to attaining uniformity and regularity to fulfil human needs”. The major obstacles to obtaining the fruit of wisdom were rejected on the grounds of unequal practices and untouchability’s, racialism, upper and lower class people were diverged by the name of case, religion, etc., he is the one who broke up the chain of inequality by framing the “Rule of law” concept under Article 14 - Every person should be treated equally before the law, also by guaranteeing their freedom of expression under Article 19 and protect their right to live with dignity under Article 21 of Indian constitution. He worked tirelessly to provide equal access to education for all Indian people during the constitution's drafting process, free from discrimination or repression. The educational ideas of Dr. Ambedkar, and the laws that were created in accordance with his vision of an ideal society are then the subject of this research paper. Education not only educates the citizens about their rights and how to exercise them, but also about human dignity & justice. Keywords: policy, education, human rights, dignity, and justice.

The Contemporary Transformation of Thematic Connotation and Narrative Mode of Peking Opera from The Jewelry Purse

Artistic creation in any era reflects the collective consciousness in the context of the era in which it is created. From the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, Peking Opera has completed its transformation as a systematic performing art in the course of historical changes, while retaining its unique cultural heritage and traditional performance forms. This paper adopts the typical text The Jewelry Purse as the research subject in the review of the history of Peking Opera, conducts an in-depth analysis of the development of Peking Opera. By deconstructing the text of The Jewelry Purse, refines the modernity of The Jewelry Purse as evidence for discussing the changes in the modernity of Peking Opera in terms of themes and narrative modes. Peking Opera intensifies the reflection on the real situation by reinforcing the gap between the ideal and real society in its development process. As one of the excellent examples of Peking Operas self-renewal and transcendence, The Jewelry Purse can be created and expressed through the creators and performers realization of the reality in which they live, and resonate with audiences of different times.

Self-Development in Islam: Ways and Methods

The development concept is a broad and widely understood term and philosophy. Its active presence is ever-present in the multidimensional process of life cycle. The continuous process of development leads to the pinnacle of development. The development of the material side of man is visible and recognized, likewise, the development of its immaterial aspect (souls) is essential. A person is composed of body and soul. Balanced development of both sides of the human being gives recognition to a complete and fulfilled human being. The soul is the main director of the body. The effectiveness and success of his material development depends to a large extent on the development of the soul. The best of creation is seated in the best seat of mankind through the proper development of the soul. Philosophy and principles that play an important role in the development of the soul, it will undoubtedly be identified as a role model for building a developed and ideal human society for generations to come.

Constants and Variables of Artworks: A Critical Study

This study discusses and analyses artistic production, explaining its motives, stages, and characteristics. In this context, the study reviewed fine artistic production throughout successive eras and explained the tangible changes. The study discussed and concluded the motives for producing creative works, their origin, their most essential features, and the reasons for their diversity. Based on these conclusions, the most critical constants and variables associated with reading and appreciating artistic works were identified. The study reviewed various artistic trends and schools representing successive eras, explained the mechanism the artists adopted to produce their creative work, and clarified the nature of artistic work and the requirements for reading and tasting it. The study confirmed that artwork recipients- regardless of their level of culture- must consider the foundations and constants of the artistic work identified in the survey so that they can read and taste it. The recipients need to understand these foundations so that they can communicate with the artistic work and have the ability to taste and evaluate it. The study gained importance in this context because of the knowledge developed about the constants and variables of tasting artistic works, representing a communication bridge between the recipient and the creative work. The recipient’s awareness of the constants and variables of reading and tasting works of art produces a positive movement for plastic art and its positive impact on building a complete and ideal society. The civilisation and the sophistication of societies are measured by the extent of their interest in and support of the arts and the positive impact on the citizens’ behaviour towards their culture and environment.

Application of LSTM Feature Extraction Model in the Construction of Opera Audio Database

Chinese traditional music plays a greater role in ideal society governed by rites and rituals. The musical culture of China is both ancient and modern. Throughout history, musicians have created several musical genres and used countless instruments. In order to appreciate Chinese traditional music, it is helpful to have a basic familiarity with three "keynotes": the classical traditional music of the elites; folk and ethnic music, and the most popular traditional Chinese instruments. In general, an opera audio database consists of audio recordings of opera performances. These recordings may be utilized for a variety of reasons, including research, education, and entertainment. To establish such a database, pertinent features must be extracted from the audio recordings to allow for effective storage, retrieval, and analysis of the data. Improvements in audio signal processing over the last several years have qualified for creating feature extraction methods that improve the quality and accuracy of the retrieved features. We first gather the audio recordings of opera performances using an appropriate recording device to build an opera audio database. Data preprocessing then eliminates noise and other undesired signals from the audio recordings to enhance the data quality. After that, to extract useful features from the audio recordings that may be utilized to define the sound's rates, the Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) technique is used. The components must then be organized and stored in a database for fast retrieval and analysis once extracted. A suitable database management system may be used to build the database. The database should be created to make it simple to search and filter the data using different criteria. The study results stated that building an opera audio database using novel feature extraction approaches is a challenging process that requires an understanding of opera music, database administration, and audio signal processing. The experimental results stated that the proposed model has provided an accuracy of 96%.

The good Dogs are still in the Portico: Making sense of the cynic-stoic moral and sociopolitical continuities

The Cynic moral and sociopolitical imprint on Stoic philosophy has frequently been overlooked in recent academic studies. However, the Cynic influence is palpable throughout the history of Stoicism. In this article, I recognise seven Cynic-Stoic conceptual continuities concerning the idea of virtue, or aretē, and five continuities concerning the morally ideal society. This article is mainly descriptive, as it serves a modest but theoretically vital purpose: to explain the interrelation(s) among these 12 Cynic–Stoic continuities, which will elucidate the strong cohesion of each (moral/ political) philosophical system. Ergo, I show how these 12 continuities strongly and simultaneously imply a Cynic-Stoic continuity in terms of the conceptions or appraisals of culture-tradition, epistemology, sexuality, money, law, religion and cosmopolitanism.

The concept of the principles of law in the field of criminal law

The article is dedicated to analyzing the role and position of legal principles within the framework of criminal law. The author emphasizes the importance of researching the principles of law both from a theoretical perspective - aiming to understand the content and directions of the development of criminal law as a branch of law, and from a practical perspective, manifested during the direct application of measures of criminal legal influence on certain subjects of criminal legal relations. Legal principles express the essence and social purpose of law, so it is difficult to overestimate their significance. They reflect the fundamental values and ideals of society at a particular stage of its development. As these values and ideals change, the principles of law also evolve. The relevance of the research topic is driven by the lack of a unified approach among scholars in defining the principles of criminal law, as well as insufficient attention to them from the legislator. The author's goal is to formulate their own definition of the concept of criminal law principles. To achieve this goal, the author examines the fundamental approaches taken by various scholars in defining legal principles as a whole and specifically those in context of criminal law. Emphasizing the diversity of such approaches, the author focuses on defining legal principles within the framework of broad and narrow types of legal understanding. The article highlights key features of criminal law principles that correspond to the specific characteristics of criminal law as a legal field. Trends of incorporating legal principles into legal norms are also analyzed. Furthermore, the article separately explores the issue of incorporating criminal law principles in legal norms. The article is intended for further research in the given field, that hold prospects in the specified thematic area.

In Tradition is the Preservation of the World: A Twenty-First Century Confucian Utopia

ABSTRACT This article offers an in-depth analysis of the utopian vision proposed by contemporary Confucian philosopher Zhang Xianglong. Throughout most of the twentieth century, Confucianism has been the subject of intense criticism in China. It was often portrayed as a relic of a corrupt system that stands in the way of progress and modernity. Recent years, however, witnessed a Confucian renaissance. Academics, government officials, and grassroots activists in Mainland China have been engaged in various attempts to reassert Confucianism’s enduring relevance for modern life. This article offers a close reading of Zhang’s key works in an attempt to explore the motivation behind his call for the creation of Special Districts for Confucian Culture (SDC) and its place within the Confucian revival. Located in remote rural areas, these eco-friendly and self-sustainable intentional communities offer their members a refuge from modern society and an opportunity to take an active role in saving Confucian values and practices from extinction. The article situates Zhang’s vision against the backdrop of modern Western utopianism and ancient Chinese descriptions of ideal societies, showing the distinctiveness of his syncretic utopian proposal and its potential legacy.

The tragedy of utopia in the age of the Anthropocene: Beyond dystopia, despair and catastrophic futures

My key objective in this article is to explore the history of the concept of utopia and its application in really existing social, political, economic and cultural forms. Starting with a consideration of what I call the economy of utopia, I theorise the desire for the ideal society in terms of a deeply human drive to seek to overcome vulnerability, limitation and finitude that is set upon failure and the fall towards dystopia by virtue of the fact that it is this very lack that defines the being of the human animal. Following this section of the article, in the second part of my piece, I move on to trace the history of utopia from the visions of Ancients, through the idealism of the Moderns, up to the champions of the theory of the end of history and a utopian version of capitalism. Finally, in conclusion, I focus on the catastrophic impacts of this global utopia of capitalism realised in the form of the Anthropocene and imagine a truly human, tragic utopia founded upon a recognition of our constitutive lack, vulnerability and finitude.

The Republic of Plato: A Philosophical Odyssey

The Republic, written by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, is a timeless masterpiece of political philosophy and ethics. Composed around 380 BCE, this influential work presents a comprehensive vision of an ideal society and explores fundamental questions about justice, morality, and the nature of the human soul. The Republic is not just a treatise on politics but also on ethics, education, psychology, and epistemology. Its discussions on the nature of justice, the importance of knowledge, the role of education, and the qualities of leadership have remained relevant through centuries. Plato's vision of a just society, governed by wisdom and reason, has inspired and challenged thinkers, leaders, and political systems throughout history, making it a cornerstone of Western thought.

Sustainability of Natural Resources in Islamic Jurisprudence

Islam promotes goodness in both the worldly life and the afterlife, aiming to establish an ideal human society that embodies moral, health, and social integration. It emphasizes environmental care and offers guidance on preserving it for the benefit of present and future generations. As stewards of the Earth, humans are tasked with maintaining environmental balance, as ordained by a divine measure. Therefore, environmental protection is a collective responsibility. (al-Qarafi, 2009). Islamic law addresses environmental sustainability through research and legal analysis, structured into an introduction, preface, three main topics, and a conclusion. An introduction that includes a general introduction to the research, a statement of its importance, objectives, questions. Following that are three chapters: the first one addresses developmental rehabilitative care for the environment, the second discusses preventive legislation for environmental protection, and the third encompasses methodological guidelines and jurisprudential principles regarding the subject matter. Then the conclusion and the results, followed by the sources and references.

Augustine on the City of God and the City of the World: A Preliminary Study of Augustine's Political Philosophy

Augustine's philosophy can be understood in two ways, namely love and justice. Love occupies a very important place in Augustine's thought. Love will determine what kind of city people are in, and love is more important than justice, so love and justice build two cities. The city of God composed of love and justice and the city of the world composed of love and injustice. The City of God represents an ideal society of high faith, spirituality and morality. The people of this city strive for the best, are guided by God's law, and their actions are guided by moral values. In the City of God, individual desires are constrained by virtue and devotion, and people pursue the happiness and harmony of the whole at the expense of individual interests. By contrast, secular cities represent secular interests, desires, and utilitarian societies. The residents in this city are more in pursuit of individual desire satisfaction and material benefits. They are driven by secular values and practical factors, and often ignore moral and ethical considerations in the pursuit of personal gain.

Importance and Solutions for Environmental Protection in the Light of Islamic Teachings

The sacred religion of Islam considers environmental protection as a characteristic of complete faith and regards any assistance in its cleanliness and preservation as ongoing charity and a measure of civil conduct. Quranic verses, prophetic traditions, and jurisprudential guidelines all emphasize the necessity, importance, and benefits of preserving the environment. Furthermore, this topic has gained prominence in today's political and health discussions, and the observance of its rights is considered an international priority. Supportive measures have been taken to protect the health of the environment and ensure that it remains unharmed. The research question focuses on what rules, regulations, and guidelines Islam has taken into account for the protection of the environment and living beings. It appears that Islam considers the environment as a divine gift and has provided religious injunctions and guidance for its health and protection. This article employs an analytical-descriptive method and relies on credible sources to address the issues and translate religious texts. The current article demonstrates that the level of attention given by Islam, as a comprehensive religion, to issues relevant to human society, including environmental preservation, is significant. It presents useful Islamic solutions for maintaining the cleanliness of our surroundings, which is one of the fundamental needs of a clean, healthy, and ideal society, and instructs us to implement them in our daily lives.