What is a good society?

I'm so used to living in this society. The society we live in has a lot of good characteristics, but there also so many terrible things that go on. I think I've learned to take the good with the bad and to accept the bad as inevitable. For this reason (and also because I live a self-centered life), I've never considered what actually makes a good society. The stories I've heard or read about so-called utopias, both real and fictional, always seem to show these utopian societies as communites where individuality is repressed and the society cannot last. Because I know that a perfect society cannot exist on earth, I haven't ever thought to ask what makes a good society.

But it is worth asking. We have a responsibility to form the society we live in, and if we don't know what it is we're aiming for, I think it's possible that we'll end up creating (or at least continuing) a society that we don't want to live in.

So, what makes a good society?

In my naive, underdeveloped opinion, a society can be measured by what it values. Regardless of the style of government or leadership, there are certain things that I think every good society will value.

Life. A good society will value human life at every level. This goes beyond simply banning abortion. A good society views life as precious and rare, and will have compassion on the poor, the sick, the elderly, and the unborn. Under this category falls things like public health and safety.

Truth. A good society will not tolerate dishonesty. Its members will desire to know the truth, not just to hear what they want to hear.

Order. A good society will have established rules that are in place to benefit all its members, and these will be enforced so that the society remains a safe place to live.

Love. This might seem a little far-fetched, but I believe a good society will follow the command: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."

Family. A good society will value family over work or money.

Education. If you want to help someone escape the cycle of poverty, educate them. A good society will provide a basic education for all its members, and will value higher education as well by making it affordable and available to anyone who wants it.

I'm sure I'll think of more later...in fact I've probably forgotten some important ones...