Around a few hundred, it is theorized (and no one knows
exactly what the numbers should or could be) to be of the
necessary size for social self
sufficiency, to have enough children so that there are age-appropriate playmates and enough
numbers to make a community school practical, to be efficient in
the use of labor, and the size
most practical for the sharing of resources. Also,
there are general issues regarding youth, old age and
living in a truly ecological and a truly just
(economically) way as well as in a truly sustainable
way. In other words, to be truly efficient, relatively self
sufficient and low cost, movement
of the type requiring great expense (i.e. complex machinery
and requiring large quantities of energy-chemical, mechanical or
human) and that
needlessly wastes time, should or would be kept
to a minimum.
Non required travel
(travel for pleasure, cultural exchange, learning and so on) would actually be greatly facilitated.
Why? click here. For why
travel can be so important? Click
here.
While some may consider the ethics, too
idealistic, and the requirement of approximately 2 days a week
or four hours a day of work (for
"room and board") to be unrealistic
(Gandhi thought 2 hrs per day was enough, and
Scott Nearing thought 4. Also see "similar
projects.)............my response is the
following:
1) If one can't think of worthwhile
reasons to achieve these goals, or live these ethics, then
of course they won't seem, or be, attainable.
2) The reasons for, and
benefits of living this way would go far beyond taking care of
the necessities in a relatively short time.
3) It's doubtful these goals can be achieved
with a much smaller community, nor would a smaller community be
as interesting or vital place to live in.
4) It may be that one can't conceive of a large community
because one doesn't wish to give up ones privileged (likely unjust) economic status, give up ones
(likely
unjust and ecologically destructive) extravagances, and give up ones
(cherished, yet bad for one's health) addictions;
even through
some sort of human perfection isn't necessary,
required, nor expected.
