Condorcet's Vision Of The Future Essay

While some parts of Condorcet’s vision of the future seem quite plausible, some aspects appear to be quite illogical and implausible. For example, in regard to medical advancement and the increased human lifespan, Condorcet also states that while he does not believe that man will become immortal, he believes that medical advancements will allow the human lifespan to be “constantly extended” (133). However, while the average human lifespan can be extended, it seems irrational to believe that it can keep increasing at a constant rate without a definite end, as modern science seems to suggest; current data shows the average life expectancy to be rising at a much slower rate than previously, perhaps reaching a peak. Another aspect of Condorcet’s

vision that seems quite implausible is his prediction that there will be a “universal language” to unite all people. This seems extraordinarily implausible, as it seems likely that people will still have separate and different languages due to coming from a variety of different countries and cultures, no matter connected the world will be, even by Condorcet’s standards.
If achieved, some of Condorcet’s hopes for the future would constitute as change for the better; for example his vision of medical advancement, equality among the sexes, and education to remove ignorance from society.

Through education, Condorcet suggests, all people in the world will “acknowledge no master other than their own reason” (131). Condorcet states, “by such an education, they can...free themselves from a blind confidence in those to whom they may [otherwise] entrust the care of their interests and the security of their rights” (131). Condorcet argues that through equal education, citizens will become free and independant, able to think for themselves, while becoming able use their own reason and judgment; as a result, people will not succumb to prejudices, thus creating a better society. As a result, Condorcet suggests, “the new members of the enlightened class of men...will serve as the friends of humankind, exerting themselves together to advance the [continued] improvement and happiness of the species” (130). Condorcet’s vision of education would surely constitute as progress and change for the better; as history has proven, a society that enlightens and fosters individual education, is far superior to one that keeps its citizens

ignorant.
However, while, some of Condorcet’s hopes for the future would constitute as change for the better, some of his hopes for mankind would come at ethically troubling costs. For example, Condorcet’s hopes for the “perfection of the human species” and the complete “happiness of mankind” might appear to be utopian, but when closely examined, appear to be distopic. For example, both of these ideas have been closely examined by Aldous Huxley in Brave New World. In his novel, Huxley exposes a society, appearing to be a utopia with perfect and happy citizens, to be a dark dystopia, whose happiness and perfection comes at a cost to knowledge, beauty, and truth. For example, Mustapha Mond, World Controller, states, “we’ve gone on controlling ever since. It hasn’t been very good for truth, of course. But it’s been very good for happiness. One can’t have something for nothing. Happiness has got to be paid for” (Brave New World, 228). Later on, John, or the Savage, states, “I don’t want comfort [happiness]. I want God, I want poetry, I want danger, I want freedom…” (BNW, 240). Mustapha Mond replies to him, stating that John is claiming the right to be unhappy, to grow old, and the right to die from sickness.