Protopia

Shermer thinks the notion of utopia is dangerous, as they set up unattainable ideals while typically instituting authoritarian and/or totalitarian regimes of enforcement. Given our diversity there is no one perfect ideal to which we all must succumb. Alternatively he offers protopia, "incremental progress in steps toward improvement, not perfection."

"Protopia is a state that is better today than yesterday, although it might be only a little better. Protopia is much much harder to visualise. Because a protopia contains as many new problems as new benefits, this complex interaction of working and broken is very hard to predict."

Some examples include: "The attenuation of war, the abolishment of slavery, the end of torture and the death penalty, universal suffrage, liberal democracy, civil rights and liberties, same-sex marriage and animal rights."