Links This book presents a practical analysis of sociological and religious issues. The ideas presented here are intended for debate, experimentation and refinement. The scope of the research is very wide, encompassing religion, philosophy, ethics and science in an attempt to determine an optimised lifestyle for human beings that gives the maximum possible individual freedom and self-fulfillment. Existing ideologies and religions are analysed to find out how well they satisfy people's individual needs to identify areas where improvements can be made. The optimised lifestyle outlined here incorporates aspects of many philosophies and religions. For example, one can observe that people are often in a state of suffering, which is a central concept of Buddhism. In Zen Buddhism, the path to true enlightenment is said to come from self-knowledge; a similar idea is used in this research, and the theory of evolution is used as the best source of this knowledge. The positive aspects of utilitarian and socialist arguments are also acknowledged, and special emphasis is placed on the potential benefits of anarchism. The key aspect of the utopian philosophy proposed here is the ethic of reciprocity, known as the 'Golden Rule'. The interpretation placed on the Golden Rule in this book describes the situation in which a person has equal priorities for fulfilling their own needs and the needs of others. The Golden Rule is present in many religions and has special emphasis in Christianity, where it is phrased as a commandment to love your neighbour as yourself. When analysed in detail, the Golden Rule leads directly to an optimal life strategy that I have termed a 'Personal Utopia'. A Personal Utopia can be defined as a state of being in which one follows the Golden Rule, and one is in an environment in which others do the same. No spiritual beliefs are required to behave with a degree of selflessness towards others. However, I believe that an open mind is essential if one is to understand a religious mindset, which is a necessary precursor to being able to teach people how they can increase their own freedom and self-fulfillment. Regardless of your beliefs, I hope that you will find this book useful and informative. Contents: A Utopian Philosophy Introduction A Utopian Lifestyle Political and Philosophical Ideologies Anarchism Socialism Communism Utilitarianism Selfishness and Selflessness Evolution vs. the Golden Rule Evolutionary Psychology of Reproduction The Selfishness of God Religions of the World Introduction Atheism and Agnosticism Judaism Christianity Islam Buddhism Confucianism Taoism Hinduism Sikhism Paganism There is also an extensive poetry section, with poems about religious issues. The free ebook is available in PDF or html format.