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Tom Molnar's Exposition of the Perennial Heresy.
Thomas Molnar's _Utopia: The Perennial Hesesy_ explains the fundamental errors and wickedness of utopian thought. Utopianism applies to the idea that mankind will experience a state of bliss and harmony in this world, in this life, after certain things happen as a result of a determined process of history. Although _The Perennial Heresy_ was published in 1967, it still remains relevant to today, especially because of Molnar's insight as to how improved communications technology (he mentions the first computers in development at that time) would appear to validate utopian prospects of a united, mechanized mass-humanity. Religious utopians, like numerous heretical offshoots in the Middle Ages and Reformation period, believed Christ's return was eminent and would establish a worldly rule of saints before the final judgement. Secular utopians, on the other hand, believe a utopia is the inevitable outcome of material, social, economic, psychological, evolutionary (and as in the case of Nazism, racial) forces working toward a climax of history where all men would live in harmony. The foremost and most influential utopian theorists were of course Rousseau, Marx, Engels, Condorcet, Saint-Simon, the Gnostics, Joachim of Fiore, and in the religio-evolutionary sphere, Telihard de Chardin. Chardin, a Jesuit paleontologist, wrote of the evolution of God, mankind and Christ into a cosmic whole, an "Omega point" where mankind would realize his Godhood. Marx and Engels wrote of the eradication of religion (along with other societal institutions like government and the arts) in society as a precursor and necessity for the coming Communist collective paradise. A utopia, a literal "nowhere," implies an end to progress, and development. Man, a finite, material, temporary being has replaced the transcendent, immortal God as the repository of Divinity. The highest authority in human affairs would be recognized as the State (in power because it supposedly represents Rousseau's "will of the people") to which all must share allegiance. Any who do not comply must be forced out or eliminated. There is no conception of freedom of choice or independent action outside of the boundaries set by the State. The "heresy" of utopian thought is essentially the denial of free will, the replacement of faith (something that is not materially certain, or can be proved so) with a rigid historical, dialectical determinism. Since religion, especially the Christian conception of God, is unacceptable for social progressivism, it must be openly abolished (Revolutionary France, Soviet Union) or subverted to accommodate for the interests of the State (Western democracies). Molnar labels utopianism "evil," and goes to a length to justify that harsh appellation. Utopianism entitles a control upon, if not an outright war against, human nature, which is and remains imperfect in this time, in this life. The entire experience of human existence, embracing family life, reproduction, race, nationality, culture, religion, geography, climate differences, scarcity of resources, division of labor, social deviance, etc., negates against utopian sameness, unity and conformity to a collective mass. Indeed, utopian thought, even in its present American technical cybernetic variety, relies upon ancient Gnostic beliefs (a topic to which Molnar constantly refers) in a universal pantheistic monad-a oneness of God, physical material, humanity and its intellect coalescing at the culmination of time. It is totally opposed to the doctrine of the Trinity, of God's three Persons of one Essence, Father, Son and Holy Sprit, which created the cosmos as it exists and operates. The utopian dream of a perfect society and perfect world is a revolt against _being_, against existence itself.

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An appeal to balance and modesty!
Utopia, the Perennial Heresy is a very original and thorough criticism of a common human tendency: attempting to create a perfect world. The hypothesis of the book is that the overwhelming self-confidence of the utopian visionary and his/her belief in creating a perfect world is by its essence at odds with the Christian (Augustinian) understanding of human nature (in particularly the idea of a personal God and that of original sin). Based on this hypothesis TM argues that societies built upon utopian ideals (Christian and non-Christian alike) inevitably lead to exclusion or isolation of those members of society who dare to question and think independently, the favouring of mediocrity over natural talent, and the disappearance of privacy. On an official level the accompanying result is the growth of bureaucracy. The criticism is aimed not only at the most obvious examples (mainly Marxism) but also at some of the symptoms exhibited by present-day Western societies such as political correctness, the dominance of ideological bias in the arts, media, and academia.

Even if one is not willing to go along with the hypothesis of the work, it has to be acknowledged that TM definitely places what he has to say on solid foundations. Not only is a wealth of ideas and their historical contexts presented in this book (which alone makes it of great educational value) the critical examinations from such an original point of view turn each analysis into real food for thought.