Table Mountain and the FutureFuturistic projections - by both artists and architects - depict Cape Town as an advanced metropolis below a still pristine Table Mountain. Central to these idealized visions of the next millennium is a utopian state of existence where inhabitants live in unrestrained harmony: free from poverty, hunger, disease, cruelty and strife. Utopian visions usually emerge at times when reform is inevitable and philosophic or poetic visions for an alternative future abound. In their reassessment of society, utopian theorists commonly advocate some form of communism, with equal access to nature's bounty and an equality between all members. Despite their impractical and improbable conditions, utopias tend to be most popular during periods of social crisis or political pessimism. Furthermore, the notion of a utopian society depends on the supposed happiness of each individual and their incorporation into an ideal commonwealth. However, as utopian models are usually the product of unrest and upheaval, the emphasis ultimately falls on the well-being of the body politic rather than on personal happiness.
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