Star Trek, five months later

[Simon_Jester]

The interesting thing about TOS is that the message it had was humans weren't perfect, but they were striving to better themselves. In comparison to TNG, the message was more "We're as good as we can be, we don't need to improve at all."

Although that could have been good if it were done with a sense of humor, with the ability to look at any given utopia and see the second-order problems that arise from triumphing over first-order problems:

"100 years ago, our civilization was straining every sinew to improve human nature and build a kinder, happier future. They succeeded. Now what are we going to do?"

[Worlds Spanner]

The interesting thing about TOS is that the message it had was humans weren't perfect, but they were striving to better themselves. In comparison to TNG, the message was more "We're as good as we can be, we don't need to improve at all."

Although that could have been good if it were done with a sense of humor, with the ability to look at any given utopia and see the second-order problems that arise from triumphing over first-order problems:

"100 years ago, our civilization was straining every sinew to improve human nature and build a kinder, happier future. They succeeded. Now what are we going to do?"

I think DS9 picked this up, especially in such episodes as "Paradise Lost." The answer is "struggle really, really hard to maintain it, and not always succeed."

[Simon_Jester]

That's the cheap way out, though, because it lets you do all the same things you'd do in a "society isn't kinder and happier than it was 100 years ago" setting. Having someone honestly investigate utopia and the second-order problems it creates would be worthwhile, if it could be handled at all. Sort of like what I'm told the Culture novels are, though I have never read those.