The concept of a nation based on Utilitarianism has captured people’s imaginations since its emergence as a theory of morality. Conceived by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, two 18th and 19th-century British philosophers, economists, and political thinkers, the theory can be crassly described in these few words, “the end justifies the means.”
But those who appreciate ethical philosophy and are driven to explore deeper the concept of Utilitarianism will find it akin to savoring a fine wine.
Utilitarianism at its core believes that an action is ethical if it creates the greatest utility. Utility in this sense constitutes happiness and pleasure.
Take for example, an act of distributing one’s wealth to the masses is better than keeping it to oneself since the action provides the greatest utility to the greatest number of people. Hence we can observe why a nation based on utilitarianism should resemble a utopian nation.
Sadly, the concept appears to be rudimentarily applied in first-world countries, especially in the west. A simple case study would involve governments interfering in market forces to break monopolies or central banks changing monetary policies to regulate interest rates.
It could also be a philanthropist funding soup kitchens to feed the poor or a volunteer helping out at the orphanage. Unlike these so-called first-world countries that sparingly apply ethical philosophy into their framework, HyperNation is big on Utilitarianism.
Those who have been following the news regarding HyperNation are aware that this virtual nation provides a monthly stipend to every Citizen under the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI). Although HyperNation aims to maximize utility among her Citizens, this will not cultivate an atmosphere of indolence.
UBI liberates an individual from the burdens of everyday upkeep so that they can pursue their self-actualization. More financial aids and leverages are being planned to further assist the Citizens of HyperNation and these will be revealed in the future.
One of these is the presence of interest-bearing crypto accounts where Citizens can earn fixed interest on their idle digital assets, which is essentially passive income. It is the same as putting a deposit in a bank. Instead of keeping your crypto in your wallet, you deposit them into these accounts to receive earnings, depending on the interest rates.
The great benefit of being a Citizen is that everyone can influence the policies of HyperNation through the system of DAO, also called Decentralized Autonomous Organization.
Undoubtedly, HyperNation is equipped with the necessary tools for the creative soul to achieve financial freedom. As much as HyperNation believes in providing aid to fellow Citizens, HyperNation is equally encouraging of Citizens who take the initiative to improve themselves.
If we are to delve deeper into the concept of Utilitarianism, we can witness several weaknesses in this ethical philosophy. First, if an action that provides the greatest good for the people is ethical, then by all means we could rob the rich and distribute that wealth to the poor. Private property needs to be respected.
Another conundrum would involve the metaphorical case of an uncontrolled train rushing headlong into a kill zone to kill ten people. If you had the power to divert the train to another direction to kill five people, would you do it? Here we can see that Utilitarianism cannot be applied in every situation.
HyperNation adopts the beneficial aspects of Utilitarianism and expunges the negative ones. In other words, HyperNation is the embodiment of every ethical philosophy known to mankind, but only the good parts of it.
This condition requires a delicate balance, but with the power of DAO in place and an economy based on consensus, all obstacles can be overcome.