Ask anyone who has ever tried in practice to create or live within a new “autonomous community” just how difficult and complex society really is. One good example is wealthy 19th century philantropist Robert Owen, the true founder of the concept of “socialism” who tried to create a utopian community in the State of Indiana. The passionate and romantic notion was a complete failure.

A Society is not just its founding documents, or its leaders, or its monetary system, or even its industry and people – it is a delicate balance of all of these factors and many more. If one element is accidentally or deliberately pushed out of balance, even the most sophisticated of societies can quickly devolve into chaos and even collapse. The Roman Empire is a sobering reminder of this truth.

The complex nature of society is why so often there are problems. Even the most passionate and idealistic movements have completely failed, against the cold and calculated forces of economic management and control. Unfortunately, idealism may start a movement, but it cannot truly herald sustainable improvements, without a much greater knowledge of how a society actually works.

So if you and others want a better society, doesn’t it make sense you first need a better model? This is why Ucadia Books Company is excited to announce the Society Series of texts coming in the next few months, addressing better models of social structure, economic systems and fairer justice models that are both implementable and sustainable.